Gambit & Deadpool have been cast, and are both in WOLVERINE?!?

By Matt Holmes / June 25, 2011

Gambit, the biggest X-MEN character yet to be introduced on film has finally been cast. IESB have it on good authority that Taylor Kitsch (Friday Night Lights) will play Remy LeBeau in X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE, the first of three movies he will play the character.

I know nothing about the actor here but all I'm going to say is that I'm not impressed. Gambit has always been one of my three favourite characters in the X-MEN universe along with Wolverine and Cyclops. Now, they've already made an absolute mess of Cyclops, with an underwritten and whiny character for James Marsden - who would have made a good Cyclops if they had given him the right material. PLEASE FOR GOD'S SAKE, DON'T MESS UP GAMBIT! And why is this guy in Wolverine's origin story? Wouldn't it have been better to introduce him in X-MEN 4 - couldn't you have just put another X-MEN character in this one? Something we don't care as much about? I was praying Josh Holloway would get the part. I mean hell, he plays Gambit on Lost week in and week out, and if your gonna introduce him in WOLVERINE then you need an actor of stature who can match Hugh Jackman's presence and intensity. Not some pretty boy, two bit actor. Now, the other crazy news today from AICN is that Deadpool will be in the movie, and he will be played by none other than Ryan Reynolds...

Of late, Reynolds has been pitching to Marvel wanting to play the character on screen after being dismissed as too old for the character of The Flash in Warner Brothers now defunt JLA movie. It's obvious he's a geek like us, and he's desperate to get into a superhero costume. I think this casting is awesome news from the guys at Marvel. This is just another one of their grand designs for expanding the universe by getting as many characters into their big movies as introductions, before expanding them into their own movies. Like introducing Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury in IRON MAN, a character who they eventually want to give their own movie. Great news about Deadpool. With these supporting characters in the film and with some great talent in Jackman, Reynolds, Schreiber and the perfect casting of Huston as a young William Stryker... maybe this will be more interesting than we previously thought? I still say it will suck because they have barely a story... but it might be more interesting than we thought. Gavin Hood (RENDITION) is shooting the film right now, and it's due out next May.