It looks like the Gambit movie is delayed again…as is every other X-Men property while Disney and Fox finish their merger.
X-Men producer Lauren Shuler Donner confirmed the news today at the 2019 Television Critics Association winter press tour. Shuler Donner mentioned Gambit as an example as to how the X-Men franchise likes to change tones and genres from film to film. “Gambit was going to be a heist movie,” she said. Was…past tense. Shuler then clarified further.
“That is up to Disney, that is really up to Disney,” Shuler Donner told IGN of whether the Gambit film would move forward. “I hope so, but that’s up to them. The problem is, you cannot have too many Marvel X-Men superhero movies out there, otherwise we will cancel each other out. Each one has to be distinctive and yet you’ve got the Avengers to follow through, you’ve got so many distinctive story canons to follow through and yet you want new ones.”
Gambit has been on Fox’s docket for quite a long time now. Seriously, look at the “Gambit” topic on this site and take a trip down the boulevard of broken dreams. Most recently, Channing Tatum said that he planned to direct the film in addition to starring as the Cajun mutant with a talent for kinetic conversion, acceleration and card throwing.
While the untitled Kitty Pryde movie has been placed on hold as well, writer Brian Michael Bendis reported yesterday via Twitter that he was still working on the script. Deadpool director Tim Miller was originally attached to direct.
X-Force did not yet have a writer or director announced but Ryan Reynolds, Josh Brolin, and Zazzie Beetz were all expected to reprise their roles as Deadpool, Cable, and Domino from the Deadpool films. Now the decision as to whether those films move forward will lie with Disney.
There was bound to be some growing pains from a merger between two absolutely enormous media conglomerates. Hopefully, this will all end in Gambit, Kitty Pryde, and Domino leading the next generation of Avengers films.