Are you ready, mon amie? Good, because it's officially happening: According to The Hollywood Reporter, a source close to the project has confirmed that the Gambit movie is a go, after Channing Tatum signed his deal to play the ragin' Cajun and future member of the X-Men. Since this is a stand alone movie, Gambit and Rogue shippers are just going to have to be patient — the classic X-Men relationship probably won't be playing out on the big screen this time around. But! That doesn't mean other great parts of his story won't be the focus of the movie — in fact, I wholeheartedly believe that the Gambit movie should be about the Thieves Guild.
Think about it: the Guild plays a huge role in Gambit's backstory, so to start anywhere else would be weird. For once, I'm rooting for a superhero movie to go full origin story, because unless you're a diehard Gambit fan, you probably aren't familiar with his tortured backstory. As an added bonus, instead of hitting the normal world-saving hero tropes, a Gambit movie focusing on the Thieves Guild could be a straight up caper.
Gambit is something of an anomaly in the world of superheroes. Despite being a fan favorite, he doesn't have one big, defining story. There's no Winter Soldier, no Phoenix Saga, and no Peter Parker-style beginnings to draw from. In the comics, he has done a little bit of everything, but he has always been defined more by his reputation as the sweet-talking thief who was excellent at slight of hand tricks and throwing his kinetically charged playing cards than by any singular story.
So, what is Gambit's backstory? The Thieves Guild kidnapped Gambit from the hospital shortly after he was born, and he spent his childhood being shuffled around the Guild and occasionally living on the streets. The hard knock life led him to hone his skills as a thief and a charming manipulator. Never a bad guy, Gambit simply pushes the bounds of socially acceptable behavior. (Also, even if you are uncertain about this whole Tatum as Gambit thing, take heart knowing that, as Screenrant reported in 2014, Gambit creator Chris Claremont wrote the treatment for the script.)
Because he was a thief before his powers manifested, Gambit's story isn't so much about him being a mutant as it is about him becoming disillusioned with the only family he has ever known. Sending Gambit deep into the underworld of the Thieves Guild and their war with the Assassin's Guild would be a great way to kick off the character's journey. The stakes would be high because Gambit has to choose between the people he considers his family and his own conscience as he becomes embroiled in the darker side of the Guild.
Since every superhero needs a bad guy, Mister Sinister could be the perfect big bad to introduce into the story. Gambit worked for Mister Sinister recruiting villains to do his bidding for a short time while Gambit's powers were out of control. With a little tweaking, Mister Sinister could become the leader of the Guild, something that would make the relationship between his character and Gambit's all the more fraught.
Even betterL The character breakdown for the Gambit lineup, as reported by Screen Crush, suggests 20th Century Fox is definitely going in the direction of a Thieves Guild tale. The character names don't match up with any comic book counterparts, but the descriptions are all about being sleek and clever experts in the art of conning. If Gambit sticks with the origin story approach, the movie has a chance to seriously stand out.
Gambit doesn't need some dramatic entrance — he just needs a solid story so the character can shine. Meeting him as a thief who has not met Professor Xavier yet is the best possible way to introduce the world to the iconic character. The Thieves Guild will give the movie style, flash, and attitude and avoid all the usual heroics. It would be perfectly Gambit — low-key and cool.
What more could a Gambit fan ask for?
Images: Giphy (2)
