'Gambit' Movie News: Channing Tatum Confirmed to Star in Film
Fox has officially given the nod for a "Gambit" movie starring Channing Tatum as the character.
Tatum was first confirmed to play the role when producer Lauren Shuler Donner made the announcement during a red carpet interview.
"He's a rogue, Channing. He's a rascal, just like Remy LeBeau," she said. "And he can handle the action, we all know that. And he's got a real good heart … So I think he'll be great for Gambit."
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Gambit, who is also known as Remy LeBeau, is one of the members of the X-Men and has the ability to charge objects with kinetic energy that explodes on impact. He uses playing cards and a staff as his weapons during a battle, and he can also use his powers to give himself enhanced physical abilities.
Prior to his casting, the actor expressed his hopes to play Gambit in a film because he and the superhero have something in common.
"There's a lot of superheroes out there. I'd like to play Gambit," Tatum said to Total Film. "Because I'm from New Orleans, around that area, and my dad's from New Orleans, and I like to do the Cajun accent."
"Gambit was always like the woman-loving, cigarette-smoking, drinking—you know, he was the punk rock of all the superheroes," he added.
The role of Gambit was previously played by "John Carter" star Taylor Kitsch in 2009's "X-Men Origins: Wolverine."
According to Deadline, the film will have Josh Zetumer to pen the script, and Tatum will be producing the movie with his Free Association partner Reid Carolin, Donner and Simon Kinberg.
No release date or director has been announced as of the moment, but it is rumored that Tatum's Gambit could turn up on "X-Men: Apocalypse" which is set to premiere in 2017, as a way of introducing the character to movie audiences before the standalone Gambit movie.
