Brave New World's Alden Ehrenreich Auditioned To Play Gambit

Long before he was John the Savage on Brave New World or Han Solo in Star Wars, Alden Ehrenreich apparently tried out for the role of Gambit, likely in 2009's X-Men Origins: Wolverine. The part ultimately went to John Carter and True Detective star Taylor Kitsch, with the movie's most long-lasting impact on popular culture being the casting of Ryan Reynolds in the role of Wade Wilson/Deadpool. Ehreneich has done alright for himself since, becoming an in-demand leading man, and that's what led us to ask him whether he had any superheroic aspirations. After all, ten years into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, doesn't everybody?

Only vaguely, is the answer for Ehrenreich, who seemed intrigued by the idea, but hasn't got his sights set on anything in particular. But he was a fan of Gambit, which likely played into his earlier audition for the role.

"Not in particular," Ehrenreich said. "I mean, I can't really think of one off the top of my head. When I was little kid, my favorite superhero was Gambit in X-Men, because that felt in the tradition of all the guys that I loved onscreen, like Steve McQueen or Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid or The Sting or whatever, but I'm not sure that I would be the right person to play it. I think I auditioned for it, actually, when I was a kid. Didn't they do something?"

After being informed about Channing Tatum's aborted attempts at getting a Gambit solo film made, he sympathized with Tatum's plight, saying "that would be fun to do."

Brave New World imagines a utopian society that has achieved peace and stability through the prohibition of monogamy, privacy, money, family, and history itself. As citizens of New London, Bernard Marx (Harry Lloyd) and Lenina Crowne (Brown Findlay) have only ever known a rigid social order, a perfect pharmaceutical called Soma, and a culture of instant gratification and ubiquitous sex.

Curious to explore life beyond the strictures of their society, the two New Worlders embark on a vacation to the Savage Lands, where they become embroiled in a harrowing and violent rebellion. Bernard and Lenina are rescued by John the Savage (Alden Ehrenreich), who escapes with them back to New London. The arrival of John, a subversive outsider, in the New World, threatens to disrupt the stability of New London's utopian society.

Brave New World will also star Hannah John-Kamen, Kylie Bunbury, Demi Moore, Sen Mitsuji, Joseph Morgan, and Nina Sosanya. The series will be written by Brian Taylor, Grant Morrison, and David Weiner, the latter of whom who will serve as executive producers, alongside Black Mirror: San Junipero's Owen Harris and Amblin TV's Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey.

Brave New World debuts tomorrow, July 15, on the newly-launching Peacock streaming service from NBCUniversal.