X-MEN Producer Wants GAMBIT Movie Starring Channing Tatum

I’ve heard a lot of crazy ideas in the world of comic book movies, but this one definitely ranks high. During Empire Magazine’s massive introspective on X-Men: Days of Future Past, they interviewed producer Lauren Shuler Donner, and she expressed interest at producing a solo Gambit movie. Not only that, but rather than bring back Taylor Kitsch, she has another actor in mind to take over.

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.

If Tatum seems like an unusual choice to play the card-throwing Cajun, it’s not as random a choosing as you might think. Last year while promoting White House Down at a press conference, Tatum himself said he would be interested in taking on the role.

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. No knock on Taylor Kitsch, though, ’cause I actually like his Gambit, but 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.

Kitsch has stated he’s done with the Gambit role, so it makes sense having to pick a new actor. Here’s the thing: do we really need a Gambit movie? If X-Men Origins: Wolverine had succeeded and Kitsch had played a better version of the character, I could understand wanting him to go off on his own adventures, but the movie failed and Kitsch’s performance was hardly memorable. With Days of Future Past, Apocalypse and X-Force on the way, A Gambit movie just doesn’t sound that exciting in comparison.

Plus, as good of an actor Tatum may be, being able to do a Cajun accent is not the primary indication of whether he’d play the character well. Frankly, I just don’t think he’s a good fit for the lanky, Ragin’ Cajun, but I’d love to be proven wrong.

Finally Fox, if you’re looking to make a spinoff film featuring a beloved X-Men character, I’m pretty sure there’s one character that you haven’t done anything with but fans have been crying for years to see: DEADPOOL!!!

SOURCE: Empire