Taylor Kitschhas been playing the hand he was dealt in Hollywood since wielding the purple-charged cards of Marvel’s Remy LeBeau, a.k.a.Gambit, inX-Men Origins: Wolverine. Kitsch starred alongside Hugh Jackman’s beloved Logan in the 2009 movie, and there were still some MCU fans online hoping Kitsch would take up and wield Gambit’s bō staff in the billion-dollar blockbusterDeadpool & Wolverine(2024). Of course, that didn’t happen, but Kitsch isn’t dwelling on the past. Rather than focusing on the role being recast, Kitsch is moving forward full throttle, and when asked ifChanning Tatumplaying Gambit rather than him was a “soft subject,” Kitsch responded by saying (perScreen Rant):
“No, no, not at all, man. That’s the business, man. It’s all good. It’s like I love the path I’m on and the actor I’ve become and the stories I’m engaging in. No pun intended, here’s a quote for you, but Gambit wasn’t in the cards for me, man.”
Kitsch’s iteration of Gambit played an integral role inX-Men Origins: Wolverine, butafter years of lobbying to play the role, Tatum finally got his wish inDeadpool & Wolverine. Tatum’s version of the Ragin’ Cajun was dramatically revealed to Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) and Wolverine (Jackman) — not to mention the fans — along with Jennifer Garner’s Elektra, Wesley Snipes’ Blade, and Dafne Keen’s X-23 in 2024’s billion-dollar blockbuster.
However, even though Tatum will officially bereprising the role of Gambit inAvengers: Doomsday(2026), Kitsch hasn’t slammed the door shut on the MCU. When asked if he might return to Marvel after he spendsEleven Daysin hell, the actor said:
“Never say never, but I don’t know, man.”
Taylor Kitsch Eyes ‘Eleven Days’ in Hell
Taylor Kitsch has come a long way since starring as Gambit inone of the worstX-Menmovies ever made, and the Critics Choice Award nominee (Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television,Painkiller), will star next in director Peter Landesman’sEleven Days. The hostage thriller is based on author William T. Harper’s bookEleven Days in Hell: The 1974 Carrasco Prison Siege at Huntsville, Texas, and Kitsch couldn’t be more excited about the project. The actor said in the same interview:
“I’ve got this book right here, 11 Days in Hell. That’s my next project. It’s something I can’t wait to service. It’s a true story about an 11-day negotiation in 1974 in Huntsville Prison. And that scares the sh*t out of me. I’m playing the director of corrections. Peter Landesman is directing, and it’s a true story and I pride myself on playing very different people and characters and stories.”
Kitsch, who will be portraying the head of the Texas Department of Corrections, Jim Estelle, continued by saying in the same sit-down:
“And I think this is my eighth guy that I’m playing that has lived literally. So that’s always incredibly flattering when you get those calls. So, I don’t know. I love where I’m at, man, so I have no regrets with it [playing Gambit again]. It just wasn’t [meant to be]. Sometimes it’s not in my power to say who’s who or who gets to play what. So, I can only focus on the people that want to work with me and collaborate with me.”
Kitsch will be costarring withRogue One: A Star Wars StoryandAndor’sownDiego Luna inEleven Days, but for those fans dying to see more of Gambit, Channing Tatum’s version of the Ragin’ Cajun will return when the highly anticipatedAvengers: Doomsdaydrops in theaters on Aug 19, 2025. Perhaps, MCU fans will even get to see Gambit deal Doctor Doom (Robert Downey Jr.) a losing hand or two.
