Fan favorite X-men Gambit has been in talks of receiving his own feature film for years now. It was confirmed last year that Channing Tatum would star as the explosive playing-card slinging mutant. Tatum, in a video interview with HeyUGuys, confirmed that the original script was “[blown] completely out of the water.”
With the massive success of Deadpool and Logan (they collectively raked in over $1 billion for Fox), Gambit will likely follow suit, with an edgier, more mature storyline. However, it remains to be seen if the Gambit character lends himself to either film’s tone: Deadpool’s in-your-face meta humor, or Logan’s reluctant hero’s journey. A director has yet to be announced and it’s unclear how Gambit will fit into the X-men cinematic universe.
Hopefully, Gambit doesn’t attempt to merely imitate past success, but instead finds a way to carve out a place for Gambit in the crowded superhero genre. Regardless, the success of both Logan and Deadpool relied heavily on the star power and charisma of Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, respectively. Gambit (the alias of Remy LaBeau) has a gentlemanly charm that makes him an ideal role for Tatum.
At the very least, Gambit better wield his iconic telescopic bo staff. If not, 20th Century Fox better be ready for some fan backlash.
Watch the original interview below: