Channing Tatum 'Dying' to Play Gambit in X-Men: Apocalypse

As many ­X-Men fans know by now, Channing Tatum will take on the role of Gambit in X-Men: Apocalypse in 2016 and a solo movie after that. The actor revealed in a recent interview that he has not signed on the dotted line just yet, but also expressed his enthusiasm about the part.

"I hope to be joining -- everything's not done yet," he told The Hollywood Reporter on Monday. "I've obviously been in talks, and we're on the one-yard line."

Tatum's hesitation to call it a done deal is a simple one. "I'm always afraid of being like, 'Yes it's totally happening' and then it doesn't happen." As for the part in Apocalypse, the actor said he's "dying to do it."

Apocalypse is the sequel to X-Men: Days of Future Past, which hits U.S. theaters on Friday.

GQ Magazine asked Tatum why he loved the card-throwing character so much, and he responded with the following:

"[Gambit was] the only superhero I really followed...He was the most real to me: smoking, drinking, women-loving, thief. He just looked cool to me. I've always loved him. And obviously he's Cajun."

X-Men Days of Future Past producer Lauren Shuler Donner (who has actually produced every X-Men movie to date) confirmed that Tatum would play Gambit, the card-throwing Cajun mutant. The Hollywood Reporter then stated the following:

"Multiple sources say that Tatum will get a stand-alone spinoff, with his version of Gambit being introduced in X-Men: Apocalypse. The stand-alone film is still in development, however, and no director has been attached."

Apocalypse is the sequel to Days of Future Past and does not hit theaters until May 2016. It would make sense to introduce Gambit in this movie, as he was one of Apocalypse's Four Horsemen for a bit.

Tatum said the following to MTV about possibly starring as Gambit before the announcement:

"I met with Lauren Shuler Donner. And I would love it. Gambit is really the only X-Man I've ever loved. I mean I've loved them all, they're all great, but I guess from being down south - my dad's from Louisiana, I'm from Mississippi, Alabama, Florida - I don't know. I just related to him. He's just kind of suave... He's the most un X-Men X-Man that's ever been in X-Men. Other than maybe Wolverine, who's like the anti-hero. He's a thief. He's not even a hero. He's kind of walking the line of grey...He loves women and drinking and smoking and stuff so he's just a cool guy who happens to have a moral center....I hope it [comes together]. You never know it's a weird industry. If the stars align, I would die to play it. I'm already working on the accent. It's crappy at the moment."

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