A worthy Gambit

Everyone’s favourite card- tossing, thieving, womanising X- Man turns 25.

AFTER watching the recent unnecessary and utterly disastrous Fantastic Four reboot, the only thought in my mind was: why didn’t 20th Century Fox or Marvel just cancel the movie, like what it did with the Roger Corman production 20 years ago?

Did they hope that the Human Torch could blind us from noticing the numerous flaws in the movie, or the fact that their multi- million- dollar movie couldn’t even get its Dr Doom to look right, when most self- funded cosplayers can do so much better?

I now fear the worst for all the other Marvel properties under Fox. While the X- Men movies have been decent so far ( not counting X- Men: The Last Stand or the first Wolverine solo outing), I have the sinking feeling that the upcoming Gambit movie could bomb worse than one of the mutant Cajun thief’s kinetically charged playing cards.

With a release date already set for October 2016, it’s alarming that lead actor Channing Tatum only inked the deal a few weeks ago and the rest of the cast has yet to be filled.

Little is known about the movie’s plot, and it is still unclear whether Gambit will be an origin story or set in the same timeline as the X- Men movies ( though it will definitely miss the boat for next year’s X- Men: Apocalypse).

Director Rupert Wyatt may have his work cut out for him, but at least he has legendary X- Men scribe Chris Claremont to go to for guidance when he needs.

Claremont is, of course, the one who created Remy Lebeau, together with Jim Lee 25 years ago in 1990’ s Uncanny X- Men # 266.

A Cajun born in New Orleans, Gambit is a thief by trade, and also a suave, smooth- talking ladies’ man with a devil- may- care attitude. He has the ability to charge any object with kinetic energy and turn it into a bomb, and it was the often unorthodox ways he used those powers – those playing card missiles are especially cool – that set him apart from the other X- Men.

Put all those characteristics together, and even the biggest sceptics would admit that Gambit is certainly one X- Man who deserves to have his own movie. But what will it take for Gambit to be the movie that fans hope it will be? Well, here are five key ingredients we think should be in it.

the ragin’ Cajun

Suave and sexy – two S- words that made this X- Man stand out so much. As long as Tatum’s Gambit has these two characteristics, it should be a blast.

Leave the berserker rage thing to Wolverine and the preaching to Cyclops – Remy’s a free spirit who strives on gambling, girls, and booze! Sure, he’s not exactly the Captain America- type that parents would like their kids to emulate, but if it helps, try thinking of Remy as Scott Lang, without the parental responsibilities.

Personally, I felt that Taylor Kitsch’s portrayal of Remy was almost perfect – from the trademark trenchcoat to the kinetically- charged arsenal. Unfortunately, he was missing the thick Cajun accent Gambit is known for, something Tatum’s Louisiana heritage should be able to address.

While Tatum’s casting raises concerns that we may end up with a G. I. Joe- ish Gambit, at least the actor does come with some “hero experience”, playing Duke in two G. I. Joe movies and voicing Superman in The Lego Movie.

Storm

Ororo Munroe’s presence would satisfy comics purists, as Gambit made his first full comic- book appearance alongside Storm in Uncanny X- Men # 266. There, he assisted a de- aged and powerless Storm in escaping from the Shadow King, as well as the Nanny and the Orphan- Maker. In return, Storm brought Gambit into the X- family, where he became a mainstay amidst doubts about his dark past.

If Storm does appear in the movie, here’s hoping it is the new Alexandra Shipp version, not the older Halle Berry one.

rogue

Gambit is known for being a ladies’ man,