Remember Gambit? 20th Century Fox's ill-fated X-Men spinoff went through multiple directors before finally enlisting Rise of the Planet of The Apes' Rupert Wyatt to bring the card-carrying Cajun mutant to the screen, but Disney's acquisition of Fox's assets proved to be the final nail in the coffin.
Even with a big star like Channing Tatum attached, the studio just couldn't seem to get the project off the ground, and the Magic Mike actor has now shed some light on the real reason production continued to stall right up to the Marvel takeover.
Tatum revealed that he and filmmaking partner Reid Carolin, who co-directed and wrote the upcoming Dog, wanted to helm the movie, and Fox wasn't having any of it. “The studio really didn’t want us to direct it,” Tatum explained during an interview Variety. “They wanted anybody but us, essentially, because we had never directed anything.”
“They would call him ‘flamboyant’ in his description,” he continued, addressing the perception that Gambit is, well, a little ridiculous. “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 chances of a solo Gambit adaptation ever seeing the light of day at Marvel Studios are very slim, but even if it were to happen at some point, it doesn't sound like Tatum would have much interest after his experience trying to get the last movie made.
“Once Gambit went away, I was so traumatized,” he added. “I shut off my Marvel machine. I haven’t been able to see any of the movies. I loved that character. It was just too sad. It was like losing a friend because I was so ready to play him.”
Would you guys have any interest in a Gambit movie - with or without Tatum in the role? Drop us a comment down below.