Things looked shaky there for a while, but Fox and Channing Tatum have evidently ironed out any issues that they had, as it’s being reported that the Magic Mike XXL actor has officially signed on to play card-flinging Cajun mutant Remy Lebeau, AKA Gambit.
Earlier in the week, news broke that Tatum looked likely to leave the project. Though no specific reason was given, it was assumed money was definitely a factor – but THR reckon the deal was never in any real danger, even though they add that the actor and studio “did hit a sensitive spot in negotiations,” and that “backend compensation was also a sticking point.”
With Hugh Jackman expected to hang up the claws after his next solo Wolverine flick, Fox will apparently look to Tatum’s Gambit to replace him as the “anchor” of their X-movies, which are poised to expand to a full cinematic universe with the addition of the likes of Deadpool, the New Mutants and the Fanatstic Four reboot.
The Gambit film will be helmed by Dawn of the Planet of the Apes’ director Rupert Wyatt, with a screenplay by Josh Zetumer. The movie will hit theaters on October 7, 2016.