Collider noticed that Gambit was missing when Disney updated its release slate to include its newly acquired 20th Century Fox properties.
Gambit originated from a very different era of the X-Men franchise. A spin-off film had been in development ever since Fox thought they could do a whole series of X-Men Origins films. (I remember when Magneto, Storm, and Wolverine all had solo films in the works.)
Eventually, Channing Tatum signed on to star which seemed like a decent casting. Although, even with a bankable star like Tatum attached, the films cycled through more directors than a $1 bill changes hands. Rupert Wyatt, Doug Liman, and Gore Verbinski were some of the high profile directors once attached to the project.
Gambit‘s death comes as little of a shock as we all expected as much once Disney completed its purchase of Fox. With the X-Men (and Fantastic Four) now available to be introduced into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it made no sense for Disney to continuing producing X-Men content that belonged in a whole different franchise and universe.
With the March 13, 2020 release now wiped from calendars, Gambit will now slip into development hell (unless an official cancellation is announced). There’s always a chance Gambit could be introduced into a MCU film down the line, but I doubt we’ll ever live long enough to see the fan favorite mutant garner his own solo film.
Are you disappointed you won’t see Channing Tatum as Gambit? Who would you want to see cast as the mutant for the MCU?
