Following reports that Channing Tatum had decided against starring in Gambit, it has now been confirmed that the actor has finalised his deal to play the Cajun mutant in the spinoff.
It sounds like the news of him dropping out of the project at the last minute may have been a negotiating tactic, as Fox were really pushed into a corner after the Foxcatcher and Jump Street star made an appearance with the casts of Fantastic Four and X-Men at Comic-Con.
The Hollywood Reporter reveals that while Tatum and the studio did hit a rough patch during negotiations, his participation in the project was apparently never in danger as he’s already invested so much time and effort into preparing for the role. It also appears as if he and Fox needed time to figure out just how much Gambit is going to factor into the X-Men Universe.
Oh, and the site’s sources also point out that “backend compensation was also a sticking point.” Based on the reaction to the news he may be walking away from Gambit, you have to believe whatever that number was before, it’s now been significantly increased since!
Rupert Wyatt is directing Gambit from a script by Josh Zetumer and a treatment by the character’s co-creator, Chris Claremont. You can find out more about the mutant here.
