Channing Tatum is a progressively rising star that’s begun to prove his versatility as an actor playing roles outside of the usual romantic heartthrob. About six months ago he expressed interest in playing the role of X-Men’s Gambit and according to sources, his wishes may come true. It turns out that Lauren Shuler Donner and Channing Tatum have already been discussing the role and she expressed serious interest in casting him as Gambit.
“I’m dying to do a Gambit movie with Channing Tatum,” Shuler Donner reveals. “That doesn’t have to be a great big movie. It’s a thief in New Orleans, it’s a whole different story. He’s on board, and I have to get the studio on board. How can anyone resist Channing? He’s such a sweetheart.”
Channing Tatum also made a statement shortly after receiving his Trailblazer award at the MTV Movie Awards. In his statement he supplemented his previous statements regarding the character and acknowledged meeting with Donner.
“If the stars align I would play it. I’m already working on the accent,” he joked.
Earlier in the interview he revealed that, because of his Southern background, he’s always felt a connection with the character Gambit. He also thinks Gambit’s moral ambiguity sets him apart from the rest of the X-Men. “He’s a thief, he’s not even, like, a hero,” Tatum said. “He’s walking the line of gray.”
In all honesty…I want to give the guy a shot. Gambit is up there with my all time favorite Marvel heroes but Channing is saying all of the right things. He knows the character, he has a definite appreciation and experience in Gambit’s home city, and most of all he respects the character like a fan would. I’m not saying he’s the best choice but I’ve noticed a constant dilemma in regards to all of our fanboy expectations and that is we are cynical and pessimistic when it comes to casting our favorite characters. We doubted Michael Keaton as Batman then quickly grew to love him, we bashed Heath Ledger as the Joker and now he’s an icon who created a set of standards for the role, and now we’re doubting more mainstream casting like Ben Affleck and Jesse Eisenberg before even giving them a chance. I’m sure the social media universe will explode with hatred if the Tatum/Gambit deal solidifies but I’m going to be rooting for him if he gets the part. He could be horrible in the role but the guy is passionate about the character and seems motivated to take on the role so if he gets the part, I’ll publicly say I’m in his corner.
