Channing Tatum and 'X-Men: Days of Future Past' producer 'on board' for Gambit standalone movie

Back when he was promoting his 2013 blockbuster hit White House Down, Channing Tatum mentioned that he'd be very interested in playing the Marvel Comics character Gambit in a movie. Previously played by Taylor Kitsch in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Tatum could possibly star in a standalone film. This news comes from the recent statement from X-Men: Days of Future Past producer Lauren Shuler Donner, in which she said she is "dying" to make the Gambit movie with Tatum.

"I would like to play Gambit. Gambit's my favorite. I'm from New Orleans, around that area," Tatum said earlier in 2013. "My dad's from New Orleans, and I like to do a Cajun accent. I could do it for real. No knock on Taylor Kitsch, though, 'cause I actually like his Gambit, but I've always lived around Cajun people. [...] Gambit was always like the woman-loving, cigarette-smoking, drinking [guy]. He was the punk rock of all the superheroes. He's a thief. He kind of rode the line."

Though Tatum enjoyed Kitsch's turn at the role, not many fans of the comic book character did. Gambit is one of the most popular characters in the Marvel world, so Shuler Donner sharing her desires for a Tatum-led movie will surely raise the hopes of many fans.

"I'm dying to do a Gambit movie with Channing Tatum," Shuler Donner admitted. "That doesn't have to be a great big movie. It's a thief in New Orleans, it's a whole different story. [Channing Tatum]'s on board, and I have to get the studio on board. How can anyone resist Channing? He's such a sweetheart."