Lost Star Josh Holloway Reveals Why He Lost Gambit Role in X-Men Movie

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Josh Holloway, known for his role in Lost, almost played Gambit in the 2009 X-Men movie. He recently shared at Fan Expo Canada that he was very close to getting the part, but a last-minute phone call changed everything.

When asked at an event which superhero roles he’d be interested in, actor Halloway – famous for his role in – mentioned Gambit. He actually auditioned with Hugh Jackman and landed the part, recalling a celebratory moment where Jackman hugged him and said, “You’re it! I’ll see you on set.”

Halloway’s experience didn’t have a happy ending. He remembers the studio head calling that night and saying they wanted a younger actor – someone ten years his junior. Halloway jokingly wonders if he’ll ever get another chance, but he’s grateful he at least learned some card tricks for the audition.

Taylor Kitsch portrayed Gambit in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. However, the film was widely disliked by both audiences and critics, which initially stalled any further development. 20th Century Fox then chose Channing Tatum to lead a standalone Gambit movie, but Disney’s acquisition of Fox ultimately canceled those plans.

Despite never officially appearing as the character in a film, Channing Tatum was considered for the role of the Cajun mutant Gambit. When Deadpool & Wolverine reunited actors from the 20th Century Fox Marvel films, Tatum was ultimately chosen over Taylor Kitsch as the potential Gambit, even though the movie didn’t end up featuring him in the role.

He said, ‘That’s just how things go,’ when talking about being replaced by Tatum as Gambit in the upcoming Deadpool & Wolverine movie. He explained he’s happy with where his career is heading and the roles he’s taking on, adding with a smile, ‘Gambit just wasn’t meant to be for me.’

Marvel Studios appears pleased with Channing Tatum’s portrayal of Gambit in Deadpool & Wolverine. The movie could give Tatum the chance to officially play Gambit alongside other heroes.

Josh Holloway May Have Dodged a Bullet by Missing X-Men Origins: Wolverine Role

As mentioned before, X-Men Origins: Wolverine wasn’t well-received. Although it made $373 million worldwide – a decent return on its $150 million budget – it received a poor 37% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and is widely considered a disappointment by fans. Even Ryan Reynolds, who played Deadpool in the movie for the first time, has publicly acknowledged its flaws.

The success of the Deadpool movies is remarkable considering how close X-Men Origins: Wolverine came to ruining fans’ feelings about these characters. Hugh Jackman, who played Wolverine in that earlier film,

Deadpool and Wolverine reunited in their latest film, which also marked a farewell to the Marvel movies produced by 20th Century Fox.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine and Deadpool & Wolverine are available to stream on Disney+.

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2026-01-21 23:37