20th Century Fox’s SDCC panel came and went without so much of a hint towards the studio’s X-Men universe, which is all the more surprising when you consider that New Mutants, Deadpool 2, and X-Men: Dark Phoenix are all slated for release in 2018.
But don’t let the radio silence fool you, all projects are marching along at a brisk clip – Gambit included. Chatting to ComicBook.com in the aftermath of Fox’s panel, which largely focused on Kingsman: The Golden Circle and Eggy’s transatlantic romp, Tatum turned in a status report on the long-brewing spinoff movie, revealing that Fox is still actively working on the troubled project.
After losing Doug Liman (Live Die Repeat and Repeat), it looked certain that Gambit had been placed back on ice at the studio, and even though Channing Tatum is currently committed to The Golden Circle – until September, at least – one would assume that the actor and producer Hutch Parker will gather together to place the Remy LeBeau origin movie on the fast track. At least, that’s the idea.
As for this latest update, Channing Tatum’s quote is short and sweet, after the actor told ComicBook.com that Gambit is still trucking along at a glacial pace: “Yeah, of course. We’re working on it right now.”
Drawing comparisons to Ryan Reynolds and his long-standing commitment to a certain Merc With a Mouth, there’s a sense that the entire comic book community is rooting for Gambit to claw its way out of development hell. And we all know how well the original Deadpool movie turned out after all those years spent languishing on the brink of production.
So, Gambit is still on the cards (!) at 20th Century Fox with Channing Tatum attached to headline. That’s a sentence that you’ve no doubt heard or indeed read countless times before, but what do you make of the actor’s latest update? Be sure to drop your thoughts in the comments section.