Having originally kicked off nearly two decades ago, the X-Men film series is getting ready to say goodbye. Next month, Dark Phoenix (which stars Sophie Turner, of Game of Thrones fame) is set to hit theaters, and next year, The New Mutants will reach the big screen, which is rumored to be the final entry in the X-Men universe before Disney and Marvel push the reset button.
While a handful of spinoff films (namely, Deadpool and Deadpool 2) managed to overcome development hell, one movie, in particular, has struggled to get off the ground. After years of planned cameos, Gambit, the card throwing, kinetic energy-manipulating mutant, finally made his debut in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. While Taylor Kitsch’s portrayal of the Ragin’ Cajun was not particularly well-received, some Hollywood filmmakers were keen on creating their own Gambit movie.
Over the past decade, numerous directors and producers have been attached to the project, including Rupert Wyatt (Rise of the Planet of the Apes), Doug Liman (Edge of Tomorrow) and Gore Verbinski (Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest). While Kitsch originally took on the role of Gambit, Hollywood had its eye on Channing Tatum, who was unavailable back when X-Men Origins: Wolverine was filming.
Unfortunately, things haven’t been smooth sailing for the proposed spinoff. Earlier this year, Dark Phoenix director Simon Kinberg said that Gambit was officially on hold because of the Fox-Disney merger, and now, a new report from Collider suggests that the movie has been canceled outright. Originally slated for release on March 13th, 2020, it seems Disney has sent out a handful of new release date changes and announcements, with Gambit removed entirely from their schedule.
While the Mouse House has yet to make a statement regarding the film’s future, things aren’t looking good for everyone’s favorite card throwing thief and at this point, it seems that the project is well and truly dead. And what a shame that is.
