As the third X-Men character to get their own spinoff, it’s important that Gambit’s solo movie have a feel of its own rather than rehash previous stories and elements. Star Channing Tatum has previously said the movie won’t be about "saving the world," so clearly the movie will feel smaller in scale. Now producer Simon Kinberg has revealed how the tone of Gambit will be fitting with Remy LeBeau’s criminal past.
Noting how grand in scale the main X-Men movies are, Kinberg explained to Collider what’s going to differentiate Gambit from the rest of the franchise. He said:
The X-Men movies are dramatic and almost operatic. … Gambit will have its own different flavor and tone to it. [It] will be more of like a heist movie and a sexy thriller, in a way.
"Sexy thriller" seems apt given Gambit’s (and Tatum’s) sex appeal, but more importantly, it’s the heist aspect that’s especially fitting. After all, before he joined the X-Men in the comics, Gambit was a professional thief and member of the Assassins Guild. A heist movie also fits with the "smaller scale" category Tatum has previously mentioned. The main X-Men movies have all revolved around global events that affected both mutant and humankind, with X-Men: Days of Future Past and the upcoming X-Men: Apocalypse having kicked things to the next level by putting the whole world in danger. Gambit doesn’t have to go that far, so while the movie will still feature mutants with special powers and threats that need to be stopped, it’s not like Gambit is responsible for making sure the entire planet isn’t destroyed.
Gambit's only competitor in the heist superhero movie department so far is Ant-Man, though it’s unlikely those movies will share many similarities outside of the two protagonists being talented at stealing. Besides, unlike Ant-Man, who will be working alongside the Avengers next year in Captain America: Civil War, it hasn’t been said how Gambit will specifically connect to the rest of the X-Men universe. Although Kinberg has previously said there will likely be some kind of crossover between Gambit, the main X-Men movies and Deadpool, we still don’t know if Tatum’s Gambit will eventually join the X-Men or will stick with adventuring on his own.
Last seen in 2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Gambit will follow the Ragin’ Cajun in the retconned X-Men universe following X-Men: Days of Future Past. Tatum is succeeding Taylor Kitsch as the protagonist, and Lea Seydoux will costar as Gambit’s friend Bella Donna Boudreaux. After Rise of the Planet of the Ape’s Rupert Wyatt exited as director several months back, The Bourne Identity’s Doug Liman is nearing a deal to succeed him.
Gambit was originally scheduled for release on October 6, 2016, but Kinberg admitted that the production delays have now made that impossible, so it’s almost certain it will need to be pushed to 2017.
