Will he, or won’t he? That is the question everyone has been asking of Channing Tatum, and whether he will take on the role of Gambit.
Now, The Hollywood Reporter finally has news that the Magic Mike star has finally signed on to play the role of the card-throwing superhero of the Marvel X-Men universe.
Tatum has been interested in donning Gambit’s purple suit for ages. “I’ve been pretty vocal about wanting to be the part of Gambit for a very long time,” he told MTV a year ago. “It’s a weird, pinching-myself moment that we’re even having the conversation.” He even appeared at Fox’s Comic-Con panel with the cast of X-Men.
With regards to how Gambit fits into the X-Men universe, THR reports that 20th Century Fox, which holds the right to X-Men, sees the kinetically charged mutant as becoming a new anchor in the X-Men film franchise, not unlike Hugh Jackman as Wolverine in nearly all of the X-Men movies, except First Class where he only had a cameo.
Gambit is set to be directed by Dawn of the Planet of the Apes’ Rupert Wyatt, based on a treatment by original Gambit creator Chris Claremont and a screenplay by Josh Zetumer. In addition to Tatum, Reid Carolin, Lauren Shuler Donner and Simon Kinberg will produce.
Gambit hits theaters on October 7th, 2016.
