Back in September, director Rupert Wyatt abruptly dropped out of the Gambit movie starring Channing Tatum. That setback may have delayed the X-Men spinoff movie, but not for too much longer.

Veteran director Doug Liman is reportedly in final negotiations to helm Gambit. Last month, Tatum was said to be courting Liman to join Gambit as the new director. Other potential Gambit helmers who were up for the gig reportedly included Joe Cornish, Shane Black, and F. Gary Gray.

As a director, Liman has a pretty fantastic action film resumé that includes The Bourne Identity, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, and the highly underrated sci-fi movie, Edge of Tomorrow. Liman also directed Swingers, Fair Game, and Jumper.

Once Liman finishes his deal, the Gambit movie can restart pre-production. Thus far, only Tatum and Lea Seydoux (Spectre) have been confirmed for Gambit. Tatum is portraying the title character, and Seydoux is playing Bella Donna, Gambit’s first love and also his bride. The story of the film will presumably deal with Gambit and Bella Donna’s origins as members of the rival Thieves and Assassins guilds in New Orleans.

Gambit was created by Chris Claremont and artist Jim Lee in 1990 as a member of the X-Men. Gambit went on to become one of the most popular characters on the team, and he’s even had three ongoing solo comic book series. Claremont wrote the treatment for the Gambit movie, which was adapted into a script by Joshua Zetumer.

The original plan was to release Gambit on October 7, 2016. Given the delays, that no longer looks like a feasible goal. However, a new release date has not yet been announced. Gambit is expected to begin filming in early 2016.

Marvel fans, are you excited to hear that Gambit will be helmed by Liman? Charge your cards with kinetic energy and share your thoughts in the comments section below!

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HT: The Hollywood Reporter
Featured Image: Marvel Comics