Is Channing Tatum's 2019 Gambit Movie Canceled?

Channing Tatum is still attached to star in Gambit, but is Fox's movie really happening? Back in 2014, Tatum signed up to the X-Men universe as the Rajin' Cajun, with plans to introduce him soon. Four years later, he's yet to make an appearance and a standalone movie doesn't appear to be anywhere close to hitting theaters.

Gambit currently has a June 7, 2019 release staked out, making it one of three X-Men movies slated to hit theaters next year; Dark Phoenix is now delayed till February and New Mutants was pushed (again) till August. The biggest difference between these two films and Gambit is what stage of production they are in. While both Dark Phoenix and New Mutants are set to undergo major reshoots months after principal photography wrapped, Gambit has yet to film a single scene. Yet, somehow, Gambit is supposed to hit theaters in between these two films.

As of right now, the only person still attached to Gambit is Tatum. Lizzy Caplan was cast in the film last year when it actually had a director, but with that seat vacant and the schedule shifting, her status is unknown. And really, the entire project should be in question at this point. In order to properly address what future (if any) Gambit has, let's first recap the hell it has gone through so far.

This Page: Why Gambit's Had Such A Troubled Development
Page 2: Disney's Possible Impact and That 2019 Release

Gambit Has Been Stuck in Development Hell

Ever since Tatum was cast as Gambit, his solo film has not progressed well. Saying it has a troubled development may even be putting it mildly. Joshua Zetumer joined the project as a writer in late 2014 and it didn't take long for Fox to confirm a 2016 release date. Obviously, that didn't come to pass and the film subsequently missed expected releases in 2017 and 2018.

Most of these delays though have been the direct result of Gambit's director shuffle. Rise of the Planet of the Apes director Rupert Wyatt joined the project in the summer of 2015. He started the casting process, with Léa Seydoux offered the female lead role, but just a few months after he joined, Wyatt departed, leading the way for Doug Liman to take the job next. He left in the fall of 2016, which resulted in the biggest set back for Gambit. After nearly a year, good news came the project's way when Gore Verbinski agreed to direct, but he too left the project at the start of 2018.

Throughout all of these changes, Fox has remained persistent in getting Gambit going. They set start dates for film's production and even hired crew members in some cases. In others, casting decisions were made to surround Tatum, but it always falls apart. One of the film's biggest concerns is a reported $155 million budget that just won't go down. This is the definition of a project stuck in development hell, and yet, there's still a sense that Fox plans on making it. But will they?

Page 2 of 2: Disney's Possible Impact and That 2019 Release

Will the Disney-Fox Buyout Affect Gambit?

One of the newer complications Gambit has run into is the looming Disney-Fox merger. Disney and Fox have agreed upon a deal that will see Disney acquire all of Fox's movie assets. While fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe are ecstatic for the prospect of the X-Men and Fantastic Four standing alongside the Avengers, it would undoubtedly mean several in-development X-Men films are thrown away. Movies that have already completed or are in the middle of filming could ultimately be safe, meaning Gambit has plenty of work to do.

Tatum and his hopeful X-Men movie do still have some time to right the ship though. While the Disney-Fox deal was recently approved by the Department of Justice, there are still months left until the deal closes. The estimated time for the merger to go through is next summer. Until that happens, Disney has no say in Fox's matters, leaving them the ability to move forward with Gambit if they can. However, if the deal were to close by the end of 2018 (which is possible), then Gambit doesn't have much longer.

There is, however, a chance that Gambit could survive the Disney-Fox buyout. While Marvel Studios and Kevin Feige likely don't have any interest in trying to fold films like New Mutants, Dark Phoenix, or X-Force into their continuity, a project with a fresh slate like Gambit could work. Marvel Studios' handling of Spider-Man could indicate their plans with the X-Men too, where they focus on characters who haven't received the spotlight. Gambit definitely fits that mold (despite X-Men Origins: Wolverine), so if Marvel believes Gambit could be a leading character, they may retool this Fox hangover.

Will Gambit Actually Release in 2019?

Despite the various hurdles Gambit still must get over, Fox still maintains that the movie will hit theaters in 2019. As recently as last month, Fox included Gambit on their official movie schedule and still had the June 7 release date attached. We are less than a year away from this release date and, as covered prior, there's hardly any positive movement for the movie. It is doubtful, to say the least, that Gambit is going to be able to make its current release date - barring some major and insanely quick developments in the next few days or weeks.

While the July 2019 release date may not be plausible, Gambit theoretically still has time to be released at some point in 2019. If Fox got the necessary pieces in place in the next few months, it's feasible for the movie to start production at the end of 2018 or early 2019. Should the actual filming process move along without any hiccups, production could be complete in the spring of 2019. Prior to Verbinski leaving, production was expected to last five months, wrapping seven months before its previous February 2019 release. Gambit's history may indicate this is all unlikely, but if it magically happened, a very late 2019 release would still be within reach.

This would all have to happen under the perfect scenario and circumstances though, and at this point is likely nothing more than wishful thinking. If Gambit in its current form is going to hit theaters, then it most likely won't be until sometime in 2020. And, given the many directors, production schedules, castings and release dates it's already been through, it's not a safe bet.