Super Hero Worship is a regular opinion column by IGN’s Senior Staff Writer Jesse Schedeen. Check out the previous Super Hero Worship entry, Joker 2 Should Be a Big Deal for DC, So Why Does It Seem Like Nobody Cares?
Every superhero fan has their favorite X-Man. And because there are so many options, there’s a nice bit of variety in which characters fans gravitate towards the most. Obviously, Wolverine hogs more than his fair share of the fandom, and Magneto is the objectively correct answer, but there are plenty of people who opt for more obscure mutant characters like Synch, Monet, or Forget-Me-Not. But there’s one character whose appeal I’ve never quite understood – Gambit.
That is, until 2024 rolled along. From animation to live-action to the comics themselves, this truly has become the year of Gambit. The Ragin’ Cajun’s stock has never been hotter, and even I can’t deny he’s one of the coolest characters in a truly massive stable. Let’s take a closer look at why everything seems to be coming up Gambit in 2024.
Gambit in X-Men ‘97
Gambit’s breakout year started early with the debut of the X-Men ‘97 animated series. And it’s funny, because the original X-Men: The Animated Series is a large part of the reason I’ve always felt apathetic toward Gambit as a character. Gambit never had a clearly defined role in that series. He always seemed second fiddle to Wolverine – the X-Men’s other resident bad boy with a mysterious past and a romantic obsession with a fellow teammate. And perhaps because of that, it never felt like the original series developed Gambit as much as it could have.
This is one area where X-Men ‘97 clearly sought to make up for lost time. From that iconic moment in the first episode where Gambit charges up Wolverine’s claws, it was clear that the writers and animators knew how to handle having two mutant badasses on the same team. These two characters can complement one another rather than having one overshadow the other.
But at the same time, X-Men ‘97 also worked to give Gambit the attention he was denied in the original series. I’ve written before how one of the series’ greatest strengths was in the decision to backburner Wolverine in favor of fleshing out the rest of the team, and that really seemed to work in Gambit’s favor. Season 1 gets a lot of mileage out of Gambit as not just the team’s suave, carefree member, but also in his possibly doomed romance with Rogue. The Gambit/Rogue/Magneto triangle supplanted the classic Wolverine/Jean Grey/Cyclops dynamic. Seeing Gambit continue his uphill battle to woo Rogue, all the while knowing they can never truly touch, gives both characters a welcome aura of tragedy.
That leads to what is undoubtedly Season 1’s finest hour in “Remember It.” No sooner does Rogue reject Magneto’s advances and finally choose Gambit than the island of Genosha is attacked by a gigantic Master Mold Sentinel. Here Gambit is able to prove himself on the biggest stage possible, making a brave one-man stand against the Master Mold and heroically sacrificing his life to save his people. As far as death scenes go, it doesn’t get much better than this.
Among many other things, X-Men ‘97: Season 1 succeeds in drawing a hard line between Wolverine and Gambit and allowing the latter to fully stand on his own two feet. And the best part is that the series isn’t done. The season ends with a post-credits tease hinting that Apocalypse will soon be resurrecting Gambit as his newest Horseman of Death. That’s an exciting prospect, even if it appears we’ll have to wait until 2026 for the series to make its return.
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Channing Tatum’s Gambit
Gambit is not a character who was particularly well-served by Fox’s X-Men movie universe. Though, the same could be said for pretty much every X-Man who isn’t Wolverine, Magneto, or Mystique. In all the Fox movies, we only got one Gambit appearance in the critically reviled X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Still, Taylor Kitsch’s Gambit is certainly the least of that prequel’s problems. In another, better film, it’s easy to see Kitsch thriving in the role. Sadly, it was never to be.
But leave it to Deadpool & Wolverine to finally bring justice to Gambit on the big screen, and to do it with the actor who was denied his chance to star in a Gambit solo movie. Amid all the countless Marvel movie cameos in that film, Channing Tatum’s Gambit is easily the highlight. Tatum consistently steals the show when he shows up in The Void. If Kitsch’s Gambit was toned down to fit the more grounded tone and setting of X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Tatum’s Gambit fully embraces the comic book source material.
Tatum plays Gambit in totally deadpan form, embracing all the inherent ridiculousness of the character.
Tatum plays Gambit in totally deadpan form, embracing all the inherent ridiculousness of the character. A thief wearing flamboyant pink armor and metal boots? Check. A superhero who speaks in a nigh-indecipherable Cajun accent? Yep. Tatum’s Gambit is the only hero in the movie more foul-mouthed and full of himself than Deadpool, and the results are hilarious. How Wesley Snipes’ Blade, Jennifer Garner’s Elektra, and Dafne Keen’s X-23 put up with his presence for as long as they did is a complete mystery.
The MCU certainly has the opportunity to do more with Tatum’s take on the character, particularly with a deleted scene establishing that Gambit survived the final battle. Could Tatum actually carry a Gambit movie on his shoulders, like he was meant to in the Fox days? It’s hard to say. There’s definitely a sense that a little goes a long way with this interpretation of the character, and it might be asking a bit much to expect viewers to embrace such a silly character in a solo spinoff. But as a supporting character in an ensemble X-Men piece, Tatum’s Gambit is great. He’s proven that you can do justice to the character by celebrating, rather than downplaying, his more over-the-top- qualities.
Gambit in the Uncanny X-Men Comic
The X-Men comics have experienced their own renaissance in recent years, with 2019’s House of X and Powers of X completely reshaping the franchise and the mutant status quo in the Marvel Universe. That ambitious storyline sadly came to an end earlier this year, and in many ways it’s been hard to accept the return to a more traditional status quo.
That being said, some X-Men have really benefitted from Marvel’s current “From the Ashes” direction. The Krakoan Age was a hugely ambitious undertaking, and it goes without saying that not every one of the massive ensemble cast of mutants was truly able to shine during those five years. Gambit is one character who often felt trapped on the backburner during the Krakoan era, but that’s changed in a big way with From the Ashes.
These days, Gambit is one of the main protagonists of Gail Simone and David Marquez’s Uncanny X-Men. Simone has always shown a knack for working with misfit heroes and villains (her Secret Six run is still one of my favorite DC projects of all time), and Gambit plays directly to her strengths as a writer.
One need look no further than Uncanny X-Men #1 to see why Gambit has become one of the highlights of this new era of X-Men comics. In that issue, he, Rogue, and Wolverine are tasked with fighting a dragon sleeping atop a temple in Teotihuacan. When Wolverine’s unbreakable claws and Rogue’s super-strength prove no match for this massive foe, Gambit takes it upon himself to save the day. Not by overpowering the dragon, but by stealing its eye and forcing the beast to strike a bargain. Ever the thief…
Gambit has historically been a tough nut for X-Men writers to crack. Like with the animated series, there’s often a problem where he feels secondary to Wolverine as the team’s resident badass, and there’s rarely been a consistent sense of purpose and direction for Gambit over the years.
But thanks to Simone and Marquez, Gambit is really coming into his own as one of the big power players of the From the Ashes era. In a time when so many X-Men are mourning the loss of Krakoa and the hope it provided, Gambit is a much-needed source of confidence, strength, and optimism. The emphasis on his loving relationship with Rogue has also been a boon for the character. Simone essentially writes him as the X-Men’s designated Wife Guy, and it really works.
Uncanny X-Men truly completes Gambit’s superhero hat trick in 2024. The comic, the animated series, and the live-action movie all present fairly different takes on Gambit, but they all succeed in capturing this iconic X-Man at his best. Thanks to these past 12 months, I can safely say I appreciate Gambit as a character more than I ever have as a Marvel fan. And who knows? Maybe he’ll get that solo movie yet.
What do you think of Gambit’s big year? What’s your favorite incarnation of Gambit? Cast your vote in our poll above and sound off in the comments.
Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.
