After some very exciting Marvel-related nuggets from Netflix during this Summer’s recent Television Critics Association tour, Marvel fans were nonetheless greeted with some potentially bad news shortly after, this time from the movie space. According to reports from reliable Hollywood source, TheWrap, the planned X-Men movie spin-off, Gambit has hit a pretty large setback, with Channing Tatum now threatening to walk away from production.
Tatum hasn’t yet commented on the matter, and nor has 20th Century Fox. Apparently, Tatum wants to re-negotiate his deal for the part of the titular card-slinging mutant, who was recently confirmed to officially not be showing up in next May’s X-Men: Apocalypse. If negotiations fully break down, Fox may end up scrapping Gambit altogether as well, which would be a blow to the studio’s long-running X-Men movie franchise.
Rise of the Planet of the Apes director, Rupert Wyatt is to helm Gambit, which is currently scheduled to commence filming this October, in New Orleans, Louisiana. A casting call also recently went out for supporting actors, presumably under false names to avoid revealing any giveaway personalities from the X-Men comics. Tatum was also in attendance at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, where he was enthusiastically promoting Gambit, and reiterating that he’s been practicing some card tricks to help prepare for the role.
Until we get official confirmation though, treat this as an unconfirmed report, and something that Fox and Tatum may very well sort out internally without much fuss in the end. Either way though, be vigilant. The ragin’ Cajun’s movie could be in trouble if negotiations break down.
Gambit is scheduled for release in theatres on October 7th, 2016. It joins a year that’s already packed with planned comic book movies, one that also includes two other X-Men movie projects from Fox, those being another spin-off, Deadpool, set for release on February 12th of next year, and prequel trilogy capper, X-Men: Apocalypse, which hits the big screen on May 27th of next year.
Keep dealing Eggplante for all news and updates on Gambit, and other X-Men movie projects.