Why Matthew McConaughey Sat Out Of Magic Mike 3, According To Channing Tatum

Few people expected "Magic Mike" to become a trilogy, but over ten years after the first movie's premiere, Channing Tatum has wrapped up his star-studded stripper story with as few clothes as possible. While Tatum returned for both of the franchise's sequels, fans never saw Matthew McConaughey's Dallas grace the stage again.  

It turns out audiences never saw McConaughey return because, in part, of how highly the actor regards the first "Magic Mike." "I didn't know if Matthew would want to do it," Tatum told Entertainment Tonight. "He loves what he did in the first movie so much. He was like, 'I don't want to touch it.'" The series star went on to praise McConaughey's performance in the movie, reminiscing on how, during the editing of "Magic Mike," he would fast forward through the film until he got to Dallas' scenes. "He was the star, he was the movie, it was special," Tatum said. 

McConaughey only appeared in the first "Magic Mike" but left a lasting impression on the series. The sequel, "Magic Mike XXL," told audiences that Dallas packed things up and went to Macau with The Kid (Alex Pettyfer), and "Magic Mike's Last Dance" featured another absence from Dallas.

Although Matthew McConaughey ultimately didn't return to the "Magic Mike" franchise for the trilogy's final installment, "Magic Mike's Last Dance," it wasn't for lack of interest on his part.

In a conversation with Variety in early 2022, the Academy Award winner said he was waiting for a phone call to begin discussing his return as Dallas. "Channing Tatum, call me, bro!" he exclaimed, further clarifying that speaking to Tatum wouldn't immediately mean he would be back. "I don't know. I'd have to read [the script] first. It was a helluva lot of fun doing the first one." Unfortunately, the stars didn't align, as "Magic Mike's Last Dance" was released with a noticeable absence from Dallas. We can't say what transpired behind the scenes, but we hope McConaughey and Tatum at least had the conversation about teaming up for one last ride.

While it isn't surprising that McConaughey never returned to "Magic Mike," it is sad, as the actor had a great time filming the first one, as he put it himself. However, the actor's career experienced a huge surge right around the time the sequels would've been shooting, with projects like "Dallas Buyers Club," "Interstellar," and "True Detective" taking up most of his time. Maybe one day, fans will get a big "Magic Mike" reunion and see McConaughey in all his glory on stage again.