Many movies - particularly in the comic book/superhero genre - enter the early stages of development only to fall by the wayside before production can begin, but based on everything we've heard about the now defunct X-Men spin-off, Gambit came closer than most to becoming a reality.
Channing Tatum, who was attached to play the card-flinging Cajun of the title, has previously revealed that 20th Century Fox was hesitant to move forward because the higher-ups didn't want the actor and his filmmaking partner Reid Carolin to direct, which led to multiple delays.
Then, when Disney stepped in to acquire the studio's assets, the project was shelved along with several others.
While speaking to Vanity Fair, Tatum revealed that he is still in contact with Marvel about potentially reviving Gambit in some form, but has also accepted the likelihood that it's not going to happen.
“It got swallowed up into Disney by way of Marvel when they bought Fox, and ultimately I just think that the tone of the movie we wanted to make was very far from what they wanted to do — or, you know, maybe they’re waiting to see how they do it with us or without us. We call every once in a while, but we’ve got to spiritually, emotionally, kind of mentally let it go.”
Gambit was reportedly very close to shooting when Disney pulled the plug, and Carolin believes the movie would have "played really well" in the Deadpool universe. Who knows - maybe Marvel Studios will decide to revisit the most recent draft of the script once the Marc With a Mouth is settled in the MCU?
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Mark Cassidy is a writer, photographer, amateur filmmaker, and Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic from Dublin, Ireland.