It wasn’t Bryan Singer’s plan to introduce Gambit (Taylor Kitsch) in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Rather, the director's intent was to introduce the mutant in the third X-Men movie, a plan with which Fox reportedly agreed. However, Singer went on to direct Superman Returns, and Brett Ratner directed X-Men: Last Stand, postponing the appearance of Remy LeBeau.
The studio was aware that Gambit was a fan-favorite character, so Taylor Kitsch was granted the role. We all know how that went…
Taylor Kitsch as Gambit (Screen Rant)
Quite surprisingly, the studio announced in 2014 that one of its future solo projects would focus on Gambit. Channing Tatum was supposed to make his first appearance as the character in X-Men: Apocalypse, and the solo movie would follow later the same year. However, 2016 came and went, and Tatum’s X-Men Shared Universe didn’t happen.
As everyone knows by now, it didn’t happen because of the difficulties the studio encountered in the solo movie’s pre-production. This had nothing to do with the Channing Tatum, who had expressed his enthusiasm for the role on several occasions. Even with the casting process under way, Gambit lost directors Rupert Wyatt (Rise of the Planet of the Apes) and Doug Liman (who jumped over to Warner Bros. to direct Justice League Dark, only to drop out of that movie, as well).
So, lacking a cast, a director, and even a release date, is Gambit still going to happen?
Channing Tatum (Collider)
According to producer Hutch Parker, those involved with the film are still passionate about it:
It is. It is. I don't have any news on that, but there's still a desire and a passionate interest to see that movie made (via Screen Rant).
And that could mean anything, but we can be sure that 2018 will bring three X-Men movies, but Gambit won’t be one of them.
