‘Gambit’ Confirmed As Third ‘X-Men’ Movie Of 2016 

All the talk from producers and actors about making more 

movie spinoffs for fan-favorite characters from the comics isn’t just talk anymore. If Twentieth Century Fox didn’t get catch the attention of

hit theaters last summer, then they sure did with the surprise announcement a few short months ago that 

Now, they’re driving the point home by also confirming a 

spinoff that will star Channing Tatum. And the the best part is, 

is also coming in 2016. That’s right, we now have 

X-Men movies coming in 2016. That’s more than Disney/Marvel Studios, more than Warner Bros./DC Entertainment and more than Sony for the year.

The character of Gambit (real name: Remy LeBeau) was introduced in Fox’s first attempt at an 

, but the creative team let fans down by ignoring some of the most iconic and interesting traits of the character – most notably, his unique Cajun accent. That version of Gambit was played by Taylor Kitsch but it’s clear that going forward, the studio is pretending that movie didn’t happen.

characters, Gambit is a mutant. He possesses the powers of controlling kinetic and potential energy through touch. He can ‘charge’ up objects and cause them to explode, using a deck of playing cards and a staff as his signature weapons. Gambit’s a formidable martial artist who also has the ability to charm people, hence his womanizing ways.

The Gambit character quickly became a fan-fave in the early ’90s thanks to his key role in the animated

cartoon on Fox which came quickly after his introduction in Marvel Comics in 1990. That still remains one of our favorite animated programs of all-time.

Rumors and reports that Channing Tatum would be playing Gambit for the 

franchise began a year ago after conversations between him and

franchise producer Lauren Shuler Donner launched an endless cycle of questions on the topic in interviews with either ever since. We even spoke to Channing Tatum about the character’s accent and abilities while he was promoting 

. Now it’s finally happening and a script is already in the works by Joshua Zetumer (

Inevitably sharing the same cinematic space will be the rebooted 

series which opens in theaters in August and had its sequel’s release date move up slightly (that announcement came alongside the announcement of

, it’s a safe bet both Ryan Reynolds and Channing Tatum will show up in 

, if for nothing else than cross-promotion. After all, Apocalypse is being touted as the franchise’s biggest film ever and it’s too good of an opportunity not to include the characters worthy enough of a standalone films that same year.

We can applaud Fox for quickly capitalizing on the superhero boom and making seemingly fan-driven projects a reality. Hopefully they can service Deadpool and Gambit in a way that honors the best and most important elements of the characters. Given what Reynolds and Tatum have said about Deadpool and Gambit, respectively, they’re hardcore fans of them and that’s something worth getting excited about.

projects in the following years if they’re ready to launch three Marvel-branded live-action features as soon as 2016. If you’re a Gambit fan, here are some recommendations from interviews with Channing Tatum:

Channing Tatum Aiming For ‘Gambit’ Solo Movie Before Joining X-Men

Channing Tatum Talks Gambit’s Movie Costume and Origins

Channing Tatum is Serious About Gambit’s Cajun Accent and Hypnotic Charm

 on June 2, 2017, and some as-yet unspecified X-Men film on July 13, 2018.

TAGS: fantastic four 2, gambit, x-men, x-men apocalypse

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