Channing Tatum on Magic Mike's evolution

Channing Tatum can't believe how different Magic Mike XXL is from the original.

Channing is back as stripper Magic Mike, along with Joe Manganiello, Matt Bomer and Adam Rodriguez.

While original cast members Matthew McConaughey and Alex Pettyfer are missing from the line up, Channing is sure fans will love the male stripper's latest outing.

"I've never seen a sequel that's so different from the original. This is maybe more the movie people were expecting the first time," Channing told Empire magazine.

"The first movie was about why this world is attractive to begin with, but ultimately you have to find a way out. This is about all the reasons you'd want to stay in," added Joe.

The film is semi-autobiographical for Channing, who worked as a stripper before finding fame as an actor.

The new flick, which is sure to get pulses racing, hits cinemas in July and continues Mike's story. This time around though there's a road trip element to proceedings.

"It's one last ride together. It's about going out with a bang," Matt smiled. "They're all facing an uncertain future. They're waking up and going, 'Holy sh*t! I'm 37 years old. What am I going to do now?"

Each of the male stars show off their toned torsos in the film, but one thing Channing just couldn't get to grips with was having to wear a thong.

"Thongs are pretty strange. My thinking was, 'Let's not do thongs this time'. My wife was like, 'You have to wear the thong!'

"But one of the plot points of this movie is, 'Why haven't male revues evolved?' They're still doing the same acts with the same outfits and the same 80s hair-metal music. We're bringing in a lot of stuff to call out a little bit of the absurdity of this world," Channing mused.