Want to play a character in the X-Men movie franchise? Don't wait for a casting director to come your way. Just hint heavily that you'd like to in a press conference.After Ellen Page (X-Men: Days of Future Past, Juno) revealed last week that she'd love to do a standalone Kitty Pryde film with Joss Whedon (Avengers, Much Ado About Nothing), Channing Tatum (Magic Mike, 21 Jump Street) has revealed he wants to play fan-favourite X-Men character Gambit.
Speaking in an interview for his latest movie, White House Down, Tatum was asked whether he would join his co-star Jaime Foxx (Django Unchained, Ray) in being a villain as part of the upcoming Amazing Spider-Man 2's Sinister Six group. But Tatum had a different Marvel franchise in mind...
I would like to play Gambit. Gambit’s my favorite. I’m from New Orleans, around that area. 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.
Taylor Kitsch (John Carter, Battleship), whom Tatum mentions there, played Gambit in the critically-panned X-Men Origins: Wolverinefrom 2009. However, that film seems to have been largely forgotten in X-Men movie continuity, so perhaps fans wouldn't feel too cheated by a recasting of the role.
Tatum might have to wait for Gambit for now, but he will be voicing Superman in The Lego Movie, which also stars Jonah Hill as Green Lantern, Cobie Smulders as Wonder Woman, Will Arnett as Batman, Charlie Day as 1980-something Space Guy, Liam Neeson as Bad Cop, Alison Brie as Uni-Kitty and Will Ferrell as President Business. Going by the character names alone, the movie will be terrific. Check out the trailer below...
The Lego Movie is set for a 7th February, 2014 release in the USA, and 14th February, 2014 in the UK.