We’ve known for a while that Channing Tatum has ambitions to play roguishly charming, New Orleans native X-Men mutant **Gambit **on screen, and that X-producer Laura Shuler Donner would also like it to happen, which means the idea is now in official development. While out stumping for 22 Jump Street, Tatum has shared more of his hopes for the character.
“Creatively, we’re starting to chug forward. Obviously there’s nothing official,” Tatum told MTV News about the progress so far. “There are only conversations and dreams right now, really.” Still, he’s happy that it’s even gotten this far. “I’ve been pretty vocal about wanting to be the part of Gambit for a very long time. It’s a weird, pinching-myself moment that we’re even having the conversation.”
Though there has been talk of meeting this new Gambit in X-Men: Apocalypse, the follow-up to Days Of Future Past, Tatum believes that they could go another way in re-introducing the character originally embodied by Taylor Kitsch in** X-Men Origins: Wolverine**. “We’ve talked about it being a standalone, first, and actually trying to change the 'hero' superhero movie. Because Gambit is not your typical hero. He’s a thief. He walks on the grey. I’m hoping we can change it a little bit, and then ultimately feather into the other ones.”
Don’t expect to see him throwing cards just yet, then, but those excited by the idea of Tatum as Gambit can at least take heart that it’s slowly edging closer to reality.