Hugh Jackman Thinks Channing Tatum Has Signed On to Play Gambit in X-Men: Apocalypse

After X-Men: Days of Future Past producer Lauren Shuler Donner said at the film's world premiere red carpet that G.I. Joe star Channing Tatum had been locked down to play Remy "Gambit" LeBeau in the upcoming X-Men: Apocalypse, it took Tatum himself to clarify that he was still in final negotiations and not yet officially on board. "I hope to be joining — everything's not done yet. "I've obviously been in talks, and we're on the one yard line," Tatum said. "I'm always afraid of being like, 'Yes it's totally happening' and then it doesn't happen. I'm dying to do it." According to Hugh Jackman, though (speaking two days after Tatum's last interview, apparently), Tatum has "just signed on" and "joined the family." The actor, who joked about Tatum replacing him because he's younger and fitter, quickly followed up with the observation that he can get away with that kind of joke since Tatum had already come on board as Gambit (a character whose sole big-screen appearance so far was in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, where he was played by Taylor Kitsch). Of course, Jackman could simply be repeating what he's heard through the grapevine, from Donner or in the media, in which case it wouldn't necessarily reflect an advanced understanding of the situation or that anything had changed between May 22 when Tatum's comments were released and May 24 when Jackman's interview took place. The exchange took place during an interview for Entertainment Weekly's Sirius XM show, which was teased yesterday via EW.com. Jackman appears with James McAvoy and Patrick Stewart.