Gambit producers Channing Tatum and Reid Carolin have revealed some details about the planned movie for the popular mutant. Created by Chris Claremont and Jim Lee in 1991, Gambit has been one of the most iconic members of the X-Men roster since his introduction. He has been included in several X-Men adaptations, including a significant role in X-Men: The Animated Series, numerous video games, and a brief role in 2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine played by Taylor Kitsch. In 2014 it was announced that Channing Tatum would star and produce a Gambit solo film.

2016 was set to be a big year for the X-Men franchise, as the original plan was to open three different projects. Two of those films, Deadpool and X-Men: Apocalypse, made it to the screen, but Gambit suffered multiple release date changes. The film had numerous directors attached to it throughout its development history, including Rupert Wyatt (Rise of the Planet of the Apes), Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity), and Gore Verbinski (Pirates of the Caribbean) before the movie was officially shelved after Disney acquired 20th Century Fox.

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In a recent interview with Variety, Channing Tatum and Reid Carolin, promoting their directorial debut Dog, gave some information about their plans for the Gambit solo film. Carolin was set to produce the project alongside Tatum, who would star. The film was reportedly similar to Deadpool in that it would be R-rated. Carolin said that the film would be a romance, and Tatum wanted to play up the character’s sense of style, an element many felt was missing in the character’s appearance in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Their full quotes can be read below:

Carolin: We wanted to make a romantic comedy superhero movie. The thesis was the only thing harder than saving the world is making a relationship work.

Tatum: They would call him ‘flamboyant’ in his description. I wouldn’t — he was just the coolest person. He could pull anything off. Most superheroes, their outfits are utilitarian. Batman’s got his belt. Gambit’s like, ‘No, this shit’s just fly, bro! This shit walked down the Paris runway last year.’ He’s just wearing the stuff that’s so dope because he loves fashion.

The romance angle lines up with previous reports that Gambit had reportedly been looking to cast the role of Bella Donna Boudreaux, one of Gambit’s love interests from the comics. Both Léa Seydoux (Spectre) and Lizzy Caplan (Masters of Sex) were considered for this role while the film was still in development. Dark Phoenix director Simon Kinberg, another producer on Gambit, teased the romantic comedy angle in the past and had previously hinted at films like Philadelphia Story and His Girl Friday being major influences on the movie.

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Many superhero movies pitch themselves as genre hybrids, yet weirdly enough, romance has been a rarity in that discussion. Initially, Ant-Man and the Wasp was sold as a romantic comedy. Still, the creators later dialed down that talking point, and it could be said the last major superhero movie to embrace a love story as its central focus was The Amazing Spider-Man films. While it is a shame the Gambit movie fell through, the character is likely high on Marvel Studio’s radar when they decide to introduce the X-Men to the MCU. Tatum has expressed interest in playing Gambit in the MCU, so there is still hope for some version of this project to see the light of day.

Source: Variety

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Richard Fink
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Richard Fink is a news writer for Screen Rant. He graduated from Arizona State University in 2016 with a degree in Film and Media Production. He loves the finer things in life, like cold Diet Coke on a hot summer day. Richard is a fan of all things Star Wars, Marvel, DC, and Film History.

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