Since the very first X-Men movie in 2000, fans like myself had been demanding a live-action Gambit to be part of the ensemble. Though the ragin’ cajun made his debut in the pages of the comics in 1990, it was not until the Fox animated series that Gambit grew in popularity, rivaling Wolverine. It took four movies before Taylor Kitsch brought the character to life with a very mixed audience response.
While promoting the release of Amazon’s The Terminal List: Dark Wolf with ScreenRant, Kitsch was asked about his reaction to Channing Tatum’s performance as Gambit in last summer’s blockbuster Deadpool & Wolverine. The actor admits he has yet to have time to see the Magic Mike star’s interpretation of the ragin’ cajun. He’s too busy looking towards his future.
“That’s the business, man. It’s all good. It’s like I love the path I’m on and the actor I’ve become and the stories I’m engaging in. No pun intended, here’s a quote for you, but Gambit wasn’t in the cards for me, man.”
Kitsch’s Remy “Gambit” LeBeau was featured in a small but prominent role in 2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine. The film depicted Gambit, an ex-prisoner of William Stryker’s Island, who leads Logan/Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) there to release captive mutants. Kitsch beat out Tatum for the role at the time, as the latter had scheduling conflicts with G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.
The negative response to X-Men Origins: Wolverine put a stop to any plans to spin off Kitsch’s version of Gambit. Tatum would go on to develop a solo movie at Fox, which saw a revolving door of writers and directors before Disney’s acquisition of the film studio ceased all production plans. The actor finally donned the trenchcoat and comic-accurate attire in the third Deadpool installment, earning rave reviews from fans, and will be seen next in Avengers: Doomsday.
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Though Kitsch’s experience with the flawed X-Men prequel is in the rearview mirror, it doesn’t mean he won’t answer the phone if Marvel Studios has interest in working with him.
“I love where I’m at, man, so I have no regrets with it. It just wasn’t, sometimes it’s not in my power to say who’s who or who gets to play what. So I can only focus on the people who want to work with me and collaborate with me.”
What are your thoughts on Taylor Kitsch’s take on Gambit? Did he deserve another shot at the role? Let us know in the comments.
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