[dropcap size=small]C[/dropcap]hanning Tatum had better start practicing his Cajun accent.
Almost a year after rumors surfaced that Tatum might be cast as the character, Variety reported that Tatum is officially joining Fox’s X-Men film universe as Gambit beginning with a solo movie set for release on October 7, 2016. It has not been announced whether or not Tatum will make an appearance in the upcoming X-Men: Apocalypse.
The Gambit solo film would then come a mere few months after the planned release for X-Men: Apocalypse on May 27, 2016. In addition to this big announcement, Fox has also shuffled the timeline for some of it’s other upcoming releases. The next Planet of the Apes film has been moved back a year to July 14, 2017, and the scheduled sequel to this summer’s Fantastic Four reboot has moved from July 14, 2017 to June 2, 2017.
Fox and Tatum have longed talked about the possibility of Tatum taking on the fan-favorite character. Tatum in particular has spoken frequently and fondly about playing Gambit, emphasizing his and the studio’s intentions for the role:
[dropcap size=small]“[/dropcap]We really do want to try our hardest to give something fresh. We’re obviously going to go to the saving the world superhero movies eventually, but maybe not for the first one. We kinda want to introduce this character in a different way. When you try to do something different, you never know right off the bat what that is.”
Gambit (A.k.a. Remy LeBeau) was created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Jim Lee in 1990. He first appeared briefly in Uncanny X-Men Annual #14 before making a more full appearance in Uncanny X-Men #266. Since then, he has appeared in various X-Men titles, spinoffs, and several stand-alone series. He was also featured prominently in X-Men animated television series.
Though the character has not appeared in any of the flagship X-Men films, he was portrayed by Taylor Kitsch in the spinoff movie X-Men Origins: Wolverine.
What do you think of Tatum taking on Gambit in a solo film? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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