Channing Tatum confirms meetings regarding the lead in the Gambit movie

Not sure if you would consider this an improvement or a step backwards from Taylor Kitsch but Channing Tatum has confirmed that he has met with producer Lauren Shuler Donner about the possibility of starring in a an X-MEN spin-off centered on Gambit. Back in January, Donner revealed that Channing Tatum would be her choice for a potential Gambit film, but it seemed like the type of talk that gets rumors started. Now, it seems like it was a lot more than that.

Speaking with MTV regarding his recent Trailblazer Award win on the network, Tatum said the following.

“I met with Lauren Schuler Donner. I would love—Gambit’s my really only X-Men that I’ve ever loved. I [mean] I’ve loved them all, they’re all great, [but] I don’t know I guess just being from down south—my dad’s from Louisiana and I’m from Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida—I don’t know I just related to him. He’s just kind of a suave; he’s the most un-X-Men X-Man who’s ever been in X-Men, other than maybe Wolverine. He’s kind of like the anti-hero; he’s a thief. He’s not even like a hero, he’s kind of walking the line of grey. He loves women and drinking and smoking, he’s just a cool guy that happens to have a good moral center.”

This echoes Donner’s statements from back in January. Again, these types of meetings happen all the time in Hollywood and nothing may come of it, but Tatum also added another note that could tease how realistic this Gambit movie is.

“I hope it does [come together]. You never know, it’s a weird industry. If the stars align, I would play it. I’m already working on the accent.”

Out of context, this could mean anything. Tatum has 22 JUMP STREET and JUPITER RISING hitting screens this summer and will have MAGIC MIKE XXL next. That movie will hit screens July 3, 2015. Tatum could begin shooting GAMBIT anytime after MAGIC MIKE XXL which would continue to flesh out 20th Century Fox’s X-MEN slate. The only question is whether comic fans would like the casting.