The X-Men spin-off Gambit feels like it’s been circling the drain for a while; a long in development project never able to get off the ground. But with Fox now willingly moving ahead with other subversive superhero films, the film has been given another chance. The studio is reportedly in talks with Gore Verbinski (A Cure For Wellness, The Ring) to direct.
Channing Tatum is still attached to star as protagonist Remy LeBeau, the mutant who has an affection for playing cards while being able to manipulate kinetic energy. Tatum was originally announced for the role in 2015, but since then plenty has changed within the X-Men universe and it looked for a while as if Tatum’s unveiling had been premature.
However, with now renewed interest in superhero films that don’t fit under the typical MCU-esque blanket like Deadpool and Logan, Fox is moving forward with the project once more, and getting Verbinski on board would be a great start. He’s still a very underrated director who’s adept in multiple genres, and would bring a balance of pacy setpieces and fun to the project.
Rupert Wyatt (War For The Planet Of The Apes) and Doug Liman (American Made) were both previously attached to direct before dropping out. Tatum actually mentioned at San Diego Comic-Con this year how the multiple delays of the film may have been beneficial to its development. He previously told Yahoo:
“We got really lucky. We had a first draft it was good, but we were coming to at a time[…] where these movies went through a bit of a paradigm shift, where the X-Men movies and the superhero movies with Logan and Deadpool really broke down a lot of doors for us. We were trying to do some things that we actually weren’t allowed to do, and they just smashed down the doors, so we’re giving it a bit of a rethink”.
Though plenty surrounding Gambit is still up in the air and there’s still a long way to go to get it to cinema screens, getting Verbinski on board would be a great start for a film that’s so far had a tough upbringing.
#Peace.Love.Gambit
