They are integral to the plot so they have agendas as a character. No one said that Gambit is the star of this movie, but to be used in this movie...he will have some sort of connection to the plot and therefore has an agenda. You even mention that Gambit is pivotal to the plot by giving Wolverine information and as a catalyst for the fight in Act 2 so he is therefore important. That is like saying Angel, Beast, Toad, Colossus, etc...have no agenda in the plot of the film because they have limited screen time. All the supporting characters lend to the overall plot of the film and the major character's progression.
But EVERY film has supporting characters. Having supporting characters in a film does not make it an ensemble.
It is like the
Scarface comparison I made. The movie IS about Scarface. Are there other people who influence the plot? Absolutely, but the movie is BY FAR about Tony Montana and his rise in the Miami drug scene.
Do Gambit, Deadpool, and Cyclops have their place in this film? Sure. But it's all there to advance the main story - Wolverine's story.
It's not like the
X-Men films where Cyclops and Jean had their story, and Rogue had her story, and Magneto and Xavier had their story, and Wolverine had his, and they all worked together, while separate of each other.
No, ALL of these characters are there to advance LOGAN'S story. The stories of Cyclops, Gambit, Deadpool, etc... in this film on not their for their own stories, but for Wolverine's.
Gambit isn't in this film to dig into his motives and agendas. He's there to aid Logan in the advancement of his story arc.
Cyclops isn't in the film to further the depth of his character, he's there to add depth to Logan's story and character by being a device used to further enhance Logan's enemy. Deadpool is in the film to be an antagonist to Logan. Same as Creed and Stryker, who are all there to be antagonists to Logan.
This film has ONE protagonist, Logan, unlike the main
X-Men trilogy that had Logan as well as Rogue, Cyclops, Storm, Jean Grey, Beast, Nightcrawler, Iceman, and Xavier.
THAT'S the difference. Gambit and Cyclops are not protagonists in this film.