gambit

Remember when Friday Night Lights star, Taylor Kitsch played the card-throwing, cajun mutant? Well Fox certainly hopes you don't. In keeping with the trend to make every super hero franchise a gigantic multi-media tentpole, the studio behind The X-Men and Fantastic Four are starting their drive to introduce more and more mutants to spin-off solo films.

Their first step: nailing down Channing Tatum to play Gambit and based on his interview at the MTV Movie Awards, they're getting closer to striking a deal. (See minute 4:25).

Normally, we're used to seeing the Magic Mike side of Channing Tatum, and no one's complaining.



But it's easy to forget that he's also a good guy. While promoting his passion project at Comic-Con, a solo superhero flick about Gambit, the 21 Jump Street star rushed to help veteran nerd hero, Stan Lee off the stage after taking an awesome selfie. 

Panel 10 - Hall H, @20thCenturyFoxPanel - I mean this HAS to be some kind of damn record. Most superheroes in one selfie? Casts of Wolverine, X-Men, Deadpool, Gambit, and Fantastic Four PLUS the Generalissimo!!! #sdcc2015 #HallH #sdccDiarywick

A photo posted by Chris Hardwick (@nerdist) on Jul 11, 2015 at 8:04pm PDT

X-Men

Last year when doing press for White House Down Magic Mike himself (Channing Tatum) talked about how much he'd love to play the card throwing mutant, and 90's X-Men favorite, Gambit. He even has the cajun accent down.

Well, in Empire Magazine published earlier this week, X-Men producer, Lauren Shuler Donner, said:

"I'm dying to do a Gambit movie with Channing Tatum," Shuler Donner reveals. "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."

It's surprising anyone could break Channing's code; it's so complex.

Gambit's release date brings the total of 2016 Superhero Movies to 8. Channing Tatum will be competing with Deadpool, X-Men: Apocalypse, Captain America: Civil War and Batman vs Superman (among others). Hopefully Gambit can win so we can see another one of his carefully crafted emails.

The logo for the Gambit film has been revealed, and it features the title atop a playing card; perfect for the deck-slinging Remy LeBeau. Gambit, starring Channing Tatum, is due out October 7, 2016.

French actress Léa Seydoux from Blue is the Warmest Color and the upcoming 24th James Bond pic, Spectre, is reported to have been offered the female lead in Fox's upcoming Gambit solo film. Something of a passion project for Channing Tatum, the actor has been attached to star since the movie was nothing more than a rumor floating around Hollywood.

Léa will reportedly be playing Bella Donna Boudreaux, the daughter of the leader of a New Orleans' assassin's guild, and Gambit's first love. The two are married to unite her father's guild and the theives' guild to which Gambit belongs. Things quickly turn south and after the nuptials the card throwing cajun must flee.



Bella Donna, of course, has her own mutant powers similar to Gambit's, plasma blasts. Will she be an aide to or antagonist of Tatum's anti-hero? The best bet is on a little of both.

We'll see how Channing's cajun accent compares to the natural accent of the French actress. If she accepts the role, this movie could sound weirder than Costner's Robin Hood.