From now until the foreseeable future, it seems that there is no escaping superheroes. As film franchises grow in popularity and quality, they earn insane amounts of money, like Captain America: The Winter Soldier 's $300 million in one weekend, and leave fans wanting even more. Marvel's other big franchise, X-Men, is set to give fans just that as producer Lauren Shuler Donner said she'd like to have X-Men spinoffs include Jennifer Lawrence's Mystique, Gambit and Deadpool. As great as a Lawrence-starring Mystique movie sounds, you should actually be more excited about Gambit, since he's played by Tim Riggins himself, Taylor Kitsch.
Well, he's been played by Kitsch in the past and it would be just plain dumb for 20th Century Fox to lose such a glorious, beautiful talent as the former Friday Night Lights star. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Donner said that Fox's current executives are on board for spinoffs, and she, along with producer Simon Kinberg, cited Mystique and Gambit as the characters with the most potential for standalone films. Donner was alone in bringing up Deadpool, however as a comic fan favorite, played by Ryan Reynolds when he appeared in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, he's a very likely choice as well.
But don't let names like Reynolds or Lawrence overshadow the underdog here. So far, Gambit has only been portrayed on screen in Wolverine, but his comics offer plenty of material for a full movie. The Louisiana native, real name Remy LeBeau, has a Cajun accent and while his main power is the ability to control energy, he's also a great fighter and card thrower in addition to his, get ready, "hypnotic charm."
Just imagine, Tim Riggins back with a different accent, probably an even better body and that trademark charm taken to the extreme. Plus, superpowers, saving the world, etc. It's the movie of any FNL fan's dreams. Don't believe me? Take a look at Kitsch in Wolverine.
Besides, Jennifer Lawrence is pretty busy working on the Mockingjay movies and whatever awards-bait she has lined up. Reynolds obviously fills his schedule making movies that no one sees, and the Deadpool movie has been discussed for so long that it's going to need to be perfect—and that takes time. So in the meantime, why not start with Gambit?
Fox can add the character to the next X-Men sequel, X-Men: Apocalypse, to get newer fans interested. Even one scene of Kitsch in the role should be enough to leave them excited for a whole new movie. Then just cast the supporting roles (maybe Minka Kelly as a love interest?) and let Kitsch work that charm.
Sure, John Carter and Battleship flopped, but a Riggins-lead Gambit seems like a guaranteed success.
