Comic books have a long tradition of introducing a mysterious new character in the last panels of an issue, keeping their face in shadow until the next installment. Marvel might be doing something similar with Gambit in its upcoming X-Men reboot. There’s a new casting report that Remy LeBeau may have a small role in the film, which could lead to a larger role in the sequel. The report specifically said they’re looking for an age-appropriate actor for Gambit’s romance with Rogue, the already cast Inde Navarrette. Thousands of fanboys are volunteering as tribute as I type, but let’s take a look at who actually has a chance.
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Channing Tatum finally got his chance to play Gambit in Deadpool & Wolverine and will reprise the role in Avengers: Doomsday, but Marvel’s younger X-Men need their own Gambit. Outer Banks star Drew Starkey, who plays the troubled Rafe Cameron, has emerged as a rumored candidate for the role, although there’s no confirmation he’s actually in talks with Marvel. Starkey was also previously linked to Cyclops before Kit Connor landed that role. With Marvel apparently looking for a younger Gambit to join its new X-Men, there are plenty of actors who could be competing for the part. Should Starkey fall through or turn out not to be involved at all, here are five alternatives who could twirl Gambit’s bo staff. For one of them, playing Gambit just might be in the cards.
5. Austin Butler
Austin Butler has already played a character inspired by a comic book superhero, though audiences may not have known it. Elvis was a lifelong fan of Captain Marvel. The King’s look was based on the hairstyle and costume of the DC hero Captain Marvel Jr. Butler portrayed Presley in Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis, earning an Academy Award nomination for a performance that required him to master the singer’s voice, mannerisms, and unmistakable stage presence. It doesn’t hurt that his vocal work proved he can adapt to an accent.
His role as Benny in The Bikeriders also gives us a better look at how Butler might play up Gambit’s swagger and rebel streak. Benny is a man who lives by his own rules, even if those rules set him against those closest to him. Familiar territory for Gambit, whose history as a professional thief often complicates his life with the X-Men. Butler is also the oldest actor on our list, and that could hurt him if Marvel is looking for someone closer to the age of Inde Navarrette. His star power and busier schedule may also be hurdles, but the alleged age preference could be the biggest barrier to landing the role.
4. Dacre Montgomery
In Stranger Things, Dacre Montgomery’s Billy Hargrove was an arrogant bully with a dangerous streak, but the character’s final moments gave the actor some of his best material. Billy briefly regains control from the Mind Flayer and sacrifices himself to save Eleven, turning a character that the audience had every reason to hate into one worth mourning. It’s a strangely apt audition for Gambit, who has his own history of getting tangled up with a powerful villain.
In the comics, Gambit joins the ranks of Apocalypse’s Horsemen as Death during the Blood of Apocalypse story arc. His new darker self is a constant internal battle, one that threatens to take him over. Montgomery has already played a version of that conflict, and Billy’s final moments show he can find the humanity beneath the swagger. While Gambit is a lot more charming than Billy, Montgomery has the look and intensity to handle the character’s darker history. We may not see Apocalypse again in the Marvel universe anytime soon, but Remy has some questionable history to offer Montgomery long before he ever becomes a Horseman. Unfortunately, Montgomery told ComicBook.com earlier this year that he’s more interested in independent films than chasing another superhero role.
3. Felix Mallard
Gambit and Rogue have weathered breakups, betrayals, and enough bad decisions to fuel a soap opera for years. Though Remy flirts with everyone, his heart belongs to Rogue. Felix Mallard’s performance as Marcus Baker in Netflix’s Ginny & Georgia is pretty much an audition for Gambit’s romantic affectations. Marcus starts as the brooding boy next door. Eventually, his relationship with Ginny <a href="https://comicvibe.com/twitch-streamer-hachubby-reveals-cancer-diagnosis/” title=”Twitch streamer HAchubby reveals cancer diagnosis”>reveals a more vulnerable side of the character. Mallard knows how to play a guy who’s guarded one minute and then wearing his heart on his sleeve the next. We can practically hear him calling Rogue “ma chérie” already. Mallard also has the shaggy hair and lanky build to make Gambit’s look work. At 28, he’s also close enough in age to Inde Navarrette to let that romance play out over a few movies. He’s got the least screen credits on the list, but that doesn’t mean he couldn’t make a charming Cajun.
2. Nicholas Galitzine
Nicholas Galitzine is already playing one of the most recognizable heroes of the 1980s as Prince Adam in Masters of the Universe. We would see him trade the Sword of Power for some playing cards. Galitzine looks like a superhero but has lots of romantic lead experience. That is going to be important for whoever ends up across from Inde Navarrette’s Rogue. He romances Anne Hathaway in The Idea of You. And played a British Prince falling for an American president’s son in Red, White, and Royal Blue. Both movies gave him plenty of opportunity to flex his charms, and Gambit has never been without. He also bears an uncanny resemblance to Taylor Kitsch, the Friday Night Lights actor who played Gambit in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Put the two actors side by side, and it’s not hard to imagine Galitzine taking over the role.
1. Rudy Pankow
Outer Banks is a surprisingly addictive mix between Dawson’s Creek and The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles. It features teenage romance, lost treasure, and a group of friends that just can’t seem to stay out of trouble. Rudy Pankow as JJ Maybank is the show’s standout. He’s a reckless troublemaker who rarely chooses the smart option when there’s a more thrilling one. Sounds like anyone we know?
We wouldn’t be mad if Starkey got the role. He’s great as Rafe Cameron and we can see him playing Gambit. But Rudy Pankow is right there! It’s like that meme of the guy going, “This is nice, but this is what I like.” JJ has pretty much all we’d want from Gambit. Charming, impulsive, fiercely loyal, and not too concerned with breaking the law. Pankow makes him likable even when he’s being a total idiot. And that’s a quality that’s important for an actor playing Remy LeBeau, whose criminal past has a tendency to catch up to him. Give him Remy’s trench coat and a deck of cards, and we’d have a pretty perfect Gambit.
Considering the whole world seems to be trying to get on Inde Navarrette’s good side with gifts, what video game would Gambit give Rogue? And why is it the brilliant but overlooked X-Men: The Ravages of Apocalypse mod for the original Quake? Let us know in the comments below.
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