It's an exciting time for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with moviegoers looking forward to upcoming Marvel movies like Avengers: Doomsday. The developing X-Men movie's cast has also been revealed, and folks can't wait for them to finally join the shared universe. There are still questions about who might play other members of the team in other projects, and Gambit's previous voice actor knows who should play a live-action version of his character.
The Avengers: Doomsday cast list has a number of actors from the original X-Men movies, as well as Channing Tatum reprising the role of Gambit from Deadpool & Wolverine. But director Jake Schreier is assembling a younger cast for his movie, so a new actor will probably be needed if the beloved card-throwing mutant is going to get involved. In an interview with Collider, X-Men voice actor Chris Potter offered his recommendation for the next live-action Gambit, saying:
I really like Austin Butler, though. I could see him play a good Gambit. And I could play his grandfather.
Honestly, I'm sold. Butler has been working non-stop as of late, with his star power growing thanks to acclaimed roles in Elvis, Dune: Part Two, and Caught Stealing. He's got the swagger to pull of Gambit, and has proven himself capable with dialect work. So why not give him Remy Lebeau's signature playing cards and staff and let him join the X-Men franchise?
Chris Potter knows Gambit well, as he voiced him in the original run X-Men: The Animated Series (which is streaming with a Disney+ subscription). While another actor took on the mantle in X-Men '97, he does have a role in that series as Cable. And I've got to say I agree with his thoughts about Austin Butler being a great choice for a live-action Gambit.
At the time of writing this story, there's no indication that Jake Schreier is actually planning on using that character in his X-Men movie. Instead the cast will include Sadie Sink's Jean Grey, Kit Connor's Cyclops, Samara Weaving's Emma Frost, Inde Navarrette's Rogue, Christopher Abbott's Professor X, Maya Boyd's Storm, and Adam Driver's villainous Mr. Sinister. We'll just have to see if any other characters end up being included in the fun as the movie gets closer to its 2028 release date. With Rogue part of the cast, there are plenty of fan who will want to see her paired with her love interest Gambit.
Fans who spent years watching the Marvel movies in order know that the X-Men were noticeably absent from the MCU during the height of its popularity. Disney's acquisition of 20th Century Fox finally opened the door for mutants to join the fun, and that's exactly what'll happen in Doomsday and the next X-Men flick.
The OG live-action mutants will be featured in Avengers: Doomsday when it hits theaters on December 18th as part of the 2026 movie release list. As for the new X-Men movie, that's currently expected to arrive on May 5th, 2028. Only time will tell if Gambit is included, and who gets to play that beloved character.
