Could an ‘X-Men’ Spinoff Starring Channing Tatum as Gambit Actually Be Happening?
These days, nearly every movie star wants to play a superhero and Channing Tatum is no exception. The '21 Jump Street' and 'Magic Mike' star has previously expressed interest in playing the popular X-Men character Gambit on the big screen, but it all sounded like talk and little more. But now, X-Men franchise producer Shuler Donner has revealed that yes, she would very much like to see Tatum play the character and that yes, a Gambit movie may actually happen.
The scoop comes via Empire and their enormous X-Men themed issue, where Shuler-Donner had this to say:
I'm dying to do a Gambit movie with Channing Tatum. That doesn't have to be a great big movie. It's a thief in New Orleans, it's a whole different story. He's on board, and I have to get the studio on board. How can anyone resist Channing? He's such a sweetheart.
She's right about a few things. First, a Gambit movie won't have to be some massive, expensive affair, since the energy-charging mutant tends to embark on smaller, more personal adventures than the rest of the X-Men. Heck, his recent solo comic book was all about his career as a thief. And second: no one really can resist Channing Tatum because Channing Tatum is awesome and we'd pay good money to see him do a Cajun accent and throw exploding playing cards at people in the streets of New Orleans.
Naturally, Donner saying that she wants to do this movie with Tatum is about as far from an actual movie as you can get, but it's start. And it all makes too much sense! Gambit is a well-liked (and very visually cool) character, audiences like Tatum (even when they don't always flock to his movies) and a solo film would help further erase 'X-Men Origins: Wolverine' from the face of the Earth, where Taylor Kitsch played Gambit in a completely wasted and nonsensical role.
For those who forgot, here's what Tatum said about Gambit while doing press for last year's 'White House Down':
I would like to play Gambit. Gambit’s my favourite. I’m from New Orleans, around that area. My dad’s from New Orleans, and I like to do a Cajun accent. I could do it for real ... I’ve always lived around Cajun people. Gambit was always like the woman-loving, cigarette-smoking, drinking guy. He was the punk rock of all the superheroes. He’s a thief. He kind of rode the line.
Keep your eye on the box office for 'X-Men: Days of Future Past' and '22 Jump Street.' If the numbers are high enough and the stars align, we may get a Tatum-led Gambit movie yet!