Gambit Won’t Appear in X-Men: First Class

gambit wolverine

X-Men Origins: Wolverine features a bunch of young mutants, and some people believe that the film is a setup for the Josh Schwartz-penned prequel X-Men: First Class. But X-Men series producer Lauren Shuler Donner tells IESB that is not the case. And while some characters might “possibly” show up, fan favorites like Gambit do not make an appearance. Donner says that the movie focuses on the first class at Xavier’s school of the gifted, so only those mutants will be featured in the first movie.

Then Donner goes on to somewhat contradict what she just said, explaining that Schwartz wrote the prequel while Wolverine was in production, and that the screenwriter was asked to do a rewrite during the film’s post production. The rewrite would reflect some of the changes that were made on set and in reshoots, so that the timing “matches with First Class.” To me, this insinuates that the two films might be more connected than she is at first letting on.

And what about future spin-off movies? Fox head Tom Rothman says “If it works out well, and we think it will, than we’ll be hard at work on ‘em.” He goes on to plug the secret endings included after the credits of Wolverine, saying that they “hint about what ones are coming next.” I know that one of the endings involves the future of Deadpool, while another one features Wolverine. So I guess this means that Fox wants to continue the stories of those two characters. I’m not sure how many “easter egg endings” were created for the movie, but we’ll find out later this week.

  • endings*
  • Sev
    It almost looks like Fox is afraid that Marvel is going to buy back the right to the X-men, so they are going to crank out as many half-assed mutant movies as they can in a year, make the money, or at least make it so no one else can make money off of them, and then fun away....
  • I'm dusting off my direct to video counter now.
  • First Class was probably just re-written to include whatever happens to Cyclops throughout the Wolverine flick.
  • Anybody know why Cyclops is in "Wolverine" anyway? Is there continuity as to why no one knows each other in "X-Men", but in the prequel characters have met? I don't mind them changing things from the comics if it makes sense, but can't they at least keep up with their own version? One of you guys that's seen this shed some light, please.
  • matt
    *sigh*

    More prequals? Can't we move forward with this story? Or is everyone too big a "name" to come back for X4?

    Surely that should have been the point of the X-men films though? To do a James Bond style never-ending series, cast a bunch of semi-famous actors and unknowns so they'll stick around for a while. Then you either re-cast them if they want to leave, or better yet, just have their character "leave" and replace them with one of the million other mutant characters.

    Instead they blew a shit load of money on Halle Berry, the worst thing about all of the X-men films. And not even just her acting, the character of Storm was just boringly written, yet kept getting thrown at the screen like we cared or as if she was a headline character.

    I suppose the problem is a lot of the mutants couldn't hold up their own film. Gambit's cool and all, but he works best as a supporting character. If you wanted another film with him and other B list mutants you'd be better doing an X-Force, X-Factor etc whatever, film and just fill it with a bunch of random mutants.

    Blah, I just wish this was back in teh hands of Marvel. *Dreams of a Marvel film universe that incorporates all the big superheroes*
  • tootalufilms
    THIS MAN SPEAKS THE TRUTH
  • Kat
    here here!
  • Awwwww I love Gambit. I was upset that he wasn't in any of the X-Men movies. The more I see him, the better. =D
  • he's one of my favourite X-Men, so this is disappointing news :-/
  • I know...sigh
  • Trini
    gambit is awesome! he definitely needs to be incorperated into the movies more!
  • Rocket
    God I hope the Deadpool ending sets him up as the character form the comics. Not a continuation of the bastardised version they created for this movie.
  • I really don't like the idea of a X-Men prequel. It seems like an excuse to look for young actors and put them together into a horrible, teenybopper superhero movie (think New Mutants Academy, yuck). Bad idea.
  • Yes, I get the same exact vibe though I hope it won't turn out as such.
  • thank you agreed
  • No link to IESB where you got it from?
  • Link has been added. Not sourcing IESB was not intentional. I have emailed Robert personally to apologize
  • I though as much seeing as though you linked to them in the Alien/Ridley Scott piece. We all have a slip of the mind now and again :D
  • thankyoufor
    he better not appear seeing as how HES NOT AN ORIGINAL MUTANT!!!!!!
  • Geist
    Exactly right. First Class has always been, Marvel Girl, Cyclops, Beast, Angel and Iceman. There's plenty to go around there especially if they redo it and not use the characters already established in the earlier films.
  • but how can they tie those 5 into the trilogy as the original 5. Angel and Beast didnt even show up til the 3rd one, with Angel never having met the x-men. also Iceman's first year is set within the first x men movie.
  • general tso
    yea i agree with prequel bit, its getting kinda old. i think they should just a do a complete reboot, i know reboots are being done to death now but it would be cool to do a reboot and bring it back to the original x-men cyclops, jean grey, arch angel, and beast. then do a next one introducing the new x-men like wolverine, storm, night crawler, banshee etc. then make next one and on and on, like some one said before do like a james bond type deal. i personally think that would be kinda cool.
  • Justin Craig
    It would be really cool, but that's what they should have done in the first place, and unfortunately it's too late now. The X-Men films are just way too recent to reboot. Plus, X-2 is arguably one of the best superhero films ever made, therefore, it shouldn't be erased for something that might not be as good. Furthermore, reboots are generally done to compensate for technological issues that the previous films weren't able to address due to poor technology. Obviously the X-Men films didn't have this problem and that's why I don't think a reboot should be done; at least not for a few more decades.
  • Brian from OR
    Thats pretty much it. If Fox stops making X-Men films. The rights revert back to Marvel. Much like what happened to New Line with Iron Man. I don't mind Fox making X-Men films, I just wish Fox would take the time and care to make a good one.
  • starscream9289
    Why WOULD Gambit be in X-Men: First Class?

    Besides, they already screwed up with Angel and Iceman.
  • Justin Craig
    Seriously! This is going to have to be its own thing because the continuity is shot.
  • Yep, have to agree with you. I think that they're going to have to reboot the thing or just come right out and say that this doesn't follow any other movie but is it's own thing.
  • MyNew Pep-Pep
    Rothman looks coked out his mind on that IESB.com video.
    Keep up the good work Rothman we are all rooting for YA!!!!
  • ryaN
    I really do not think that the studios care one bit about our concerns. Look what they did to Daredevil, Blade, Spider-man, Fantastic Four, Punisher, and the X-men..
    They will never understand. nor do they care.
    They just want to make CRAP and take your money...
    Thanks /film
  • Gambit might be one of my favorite X-Men, but if this movie is really going to be about the first class of mutants at Xavier's then it wouldn't make sense to have Gambit OR Wolverine in the movie. I had kind of hoped when they were first developing an X-Men movie it would have started with this and then gone on to add more mutants into the storyline. Going back now seems like Fox's way to reboot the movie franchise after the horrendous X3.
  • fox won't include a cool character like gambit? what a surprise.
  • Dchampagne
    So I can't wait and see what they're gona do with *1st Class*
    Here are some facts:
    Beast wasn't blue and fury. More like a football player with chimps feets.
    Angel is arrogant and a playboy due to his wealth (Not shy)
    Cyclop Is OK but they killed him in X3 !?! He never died?!?
    Iceman How are they going to include him in the movie? He was only a boy in X3!
    Marvel girl (Jean Grey) Discovers her power after her best friend got hit by a car and Jean Grey goes in a Coma to be cured by Xavier (He also use that time to block the Phoenix in her)
    First invasion was against Magneto and his Brotherhood....déjà vu!
    So let's see how they,re gona turn this one into a movie not already seen and that MAKES SENSE!

    An X-men fan
  • Dchampagne
    Since when did they give a damn about the real story of the X-Men?
    First Wolverine is Canadian and his first group was the ALPHA FLIGHT (Puck, Cpt Canuck, Snow angel, Wendigo, ...) Origin?!? Yeah riiiight :(
    First enemy was Wendigo and the Hulk! Sabertooth is Wolverine's father.
    In the X-Men
    We only saw a peak of the sentinels (Robots) No scarlet witch and quick silver and no mastermind (Wich were the first vilains of the *Brotherhood of evil mutants*! Only Toad and magneto was there at the right place and right time!

    The X-men fan again
  • Ahh, this First Class is frustrating me! Why ignore the actual high school characters? Why not Jubilee or Colossus?! I'd find their new stories WAY more interesting than the same old Cyclops. Wolverine, Jean triangle! I just blogged about my dream "Origins" stars. Click my name to link to the post. (this isn't spam, slash! I love you all!)
  • Of course Gambit won't be with the X-men, they ruined that chance when they made X3. That was possibly the best time to have him in one of the films.
  • NinaP
    The custodian who came in to sweep up after our showing told us that there were three Easter Eggs. I saw the Wolverine one...it would be interesting to know what the third is.
  • They should just edit X 1 to 3 and remove Ice Man in classroom scenes and add him into fights, plus add Gambit into classroom scenes
  • I think that they should resurrect the originals with a fourth whilst editing 1 to 3 to add in Angel and Ice Man as the same age as Cyclops with the same actors. Definitely having Angel in 1
  • DaVeO
    Reboot X-Men. X-3 and Wolverine has messed up the franchise anyhow. Give us the original 5 in a new series and that will make a lot of folks happy. Less continunity headaches as well.
  • Steven
    Seriously who the f@ck cares about Gambit anyway!? I don't want the X-Men to be tainted with Frenchy GumBeat. I'm fine with Cyclops & Wolverine Team-Up.
  • xxkxx
    Yer only problem with that one is Gambit is a huge part of the original Xmen team.
  • chilled out
    ...Gambit wasn't introduced until 27 years after the X-Men started. In no world was he ever a member of the original X-Men team.
  • Name
    was that really worth writing at the expense of everyone now knowing you have nothing better to do with ur life than fanatically watch xmen? hmm?
  • xxkxx
    They should never have bothered to create Xmen Origins Wolverine! It has destroyed the posibilty for many story lines to come to fruition in the main film series. It creates a past out of thin air for Wolverine, it brings Gambit in WAY to early, sealing his fate for any possibilty of returning in Xmen 4, and there is now no chance of a relationship between Gambit and Rogue. Xmen Origins just seems to have been a blip that wasted the character of Gambit and clutched at straws for a story line.
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