With thudding inevitability, Fox's release-date reshuffle has seen X-Men spin-off Gambit pulled from its original release date of October this year. A new slot for the Channing Tatum-fronted superhero vehicle hasn't yet been announced.
This is not necessarily bad news for the film; in fact it's eminently sensible. With original director Rupert Wyatt departing the project last September, and his replacement Doug Liman only coming aboard in November, October 2016 was never looking realistic. It turns out that 11-month turnaround really was too tight. Gambit now has time to come together properly, and with Deadpool and X-Men: Apocalypse both out this year, we're hardly deprived of X-Men to tide us over.
Simon Kinberg and Lauren Shuler Donner remain producers on Gambit, which Tatum has been chasing for some years. Josh Zetumer wrote the screenplay, based on a treatment from comic book stalwart Chris Claremont. It's planned as a stand-alone film which, in Tatum’s opinion, should present a twist on the usual superhero outing. "He's not your typical hero," he says of the the smooth-talking, kinetic energy-utilising Cajun X-rebel also known as Remy LeBeau. "He’s a thief. He walks on the grey."
The only other cast member we currently know about is Léa Seydoux who'll be Gambit's long-term friend and love-interest Bella Donna Boudreaux. Expect more updates in the near future. Fox have earmarked two dates, October 6, 2017 and January 12, 2018, for unspecified Marvel films, so expect one of those to be Gambit. The other is likely Deadpool 2...