Finally, after a long time, a movie is released, although it is not official, dedicated to Gambit , one of the characters in the X-Men saga who does have a leading role in the comics, but who has gone rather unnoticed in the adaptations. cinematographic
Canadian actor and model Nick Bateman stars in this 20-minute short film titled ‘Gambit: Play For Keeps’ (available for free with English audio and subtitles), directed by Jensen Noen . That the fact of being a short film made by fans of the saga should not be misleading: it is a high-quality product, with a great staging and plenty of action, in addition to havingfamiliar faces like that of actor Eric Roberts .
In June 2017, Bateman uploaded to his YouTube channel a teaser about a short future dedicated to Gambit, a character he plays himself, and in which he brings out his skills as a fighter (he competed in karate in the past and even opened his own school in Vancouver). Despite having more than 2.5 million views, it has taken a long time to see a more complete version.
‘X-Men’: in the absence of an official movie, fans dedicate a short film to Gambit | @sherihoo
In just a couple of weeks, ‘Gambit: Play For Keeps’ exceeds 1.3 million views. It is noted that there was a desire for Gambit, and that the fans are assuming that finally there will be no official movie. From the looks of it, it’s easier for us to see an X-Men/Avengers encounter than a Gambit spin-off.
In addition to Gambit, other characters from the X-Men universe appear in the short, such as Rogue (Picara) . In the comics, both maintain a loving relationship and even get married. The story told in the film revolves around Gambit’s natural habitat, the casino universe. The characters are seated around a card table, as in Gambit’s only appearance in the X-Men films.
Gambit is played by actor Taylor Kitsch in a few scenes of ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’ , a 2009 film directed by Gavin Hood, where he faces Wolverine both at poker and hand-to-hand.
The bō (an elongated stick that has been used to fight in several civilizations) and the cards are the most characteristic weapons of Gambit, although its mutant power is its ability to generate kinetic energy and pass it to the cards or other objects that it uses as weapons. projectiles . The cards and the game is not a coincidence. To define this character, his origin is very important.
Remy Etienne LeBeau , who is Gambit’s real name, is from New Orleans, an area with a great French influence that, in the 19th century, served as an entrance to the United States for cards and other games that were practiced in Europe. Hence the relationship of Gambit with the game, inheritance of the connection between New Orleans and French culture, which is also noticeable in the renowned gastronomy of the area. Another of the most marked characteristics of Gambit is also related to the fact of being southern, although it is difficult to appreciate for those who are not English speakers: the Cajun accent.
Precisely that connection of Gambit with New Orleans was one of the reasons used to validate the rumors about a film adaptation of Gambit within the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) . Actor Channing Tatum, who is originally from the south and knows that culture well, sounded for a long time as the chosen one to star in this possible movie. In addition, the actor himself acknowledged being a fan of the character since his youth, in which he practiced kung fu, and made public his wish that the project would go ahead.
However, unlike what happened with Ryan Reynolds , who took more than 10 years to carry out the adaptations of the character of Deadpool , it does not seem that Tatum’s dream is close to being produced. More than five years after the announcement that Channing Tatum was going to star in the movie about Gambit, the project fell for good and the actor moved on to the adaptation of another comic: ‘The Maxx’ by Sam Kiethwhich had an animated series that aired on MTV.
At least Nick Bateman has been able to get into the meat of Gambit, albeit with a budget far removed from those managed in the MCU and based on a lot of perseverance.
