Last week, I wrote about “X-Men ’97” and how the show is now dominating every aspect of my life. I didn’t speak about the emotional devastation a particular episode, titled “Remember It,” did to me.
As in, I was so upset by the events of this episode, even though I only learned about it through a series of memes on Instagram, that it rewoke a hyper fixation that had laid dormant since 2016.
While I won’t spoil the events of “Remember It,” (although if you do watch that episode, you may find this statement by Beau DeMayo adds a a new layer to the story), I will share the fan content (and real content) that I’ve been enjoying to nurse my wounds.
For those who weren’t friends with me in high school, once upon a time, I was fixated with the X-Men character Gambit, or Remy LeBeau, the mutant thief from New Orleans. Gambit was Cajun, spoke with a thick accent, and seemed cool despite wearing an idiotic combination of pink armor and a brown trenchcoat.
(Also, if you own a trenchcoat because you think it makes you look cool, please do yourself a favor and burn it in a fire. On your best day, you look like you’re going to flash a group of tourists in Times Square.)
Gambit was also well-known for his famous on-again, off-again relationship with the mutant Rogue. Rogue’s unique abilities meant that she could absorb someone’s life force (and powers) through skin-to-skin contact. Unfortunately, throughout her time in various movies, shows, and comics, she doesn’t have the ability to control this ability, leaving her unable to touch another person for fear of sapping the life out of them.
She also has super strength, invulnerability, and can fly, thanks to a terrible encounter with Carol Danvers, but that’s irrelevant to this post. I just think it’s cool. (I was beyond disappointed that the “Captain Marvel” movie didn’t even mention Rogue)
Gambit and Rogue have always had an interesting dynamic. Depending on what comic or show they’re in, Rogue’s powers always got in the way of their relationship. When it wasn’t Rogue’s powers, the two characters had problems trusting each other due to various villainous backstories and soap opera theatrics. The two have a history dating back to 1990, so forgive me for not going into too much detail about it.
The most surprising about the Marvel movies made so far is how few focus on this relationship. In the movies, Rogue is in a relationship with Bobby, or Iceman, who later comes out as gay in the comics. Gambit was a side character in the trash film “X-Men Origins: Wolverine,” but that film takes place at some undetermined point in the 80s. The original live-action X-Men trilogy featuring Rogue began in the early 2000s, so “X-Men Origins” temporally separates the two characters.
In 2018, Kelly Thompson wrote a limited series titled “Rogue & Gambit,” in which the two characters finally resolve their issues and get back together. I highly recommend it, as the series succinctly reflects on their 28 years of romantic drama while providing a clear path forward for their relationship. Rogue and Gambit were married in “X-Men Gold: #30,” followed by a honeymoon adventure epic titled “Mr. and Mrs. X.”
If my teenage heart could write, it would look like these comics.
After watching and re-watching the events of “Remember It,” I’ve been rereading these comics like they’re part of the Da Vinci code. If I find enough clues and decode them all, maybe I’ll open the door to a secret vault containing the never-before-seen live-action film in which Rogue and Gambit are happily married and fight bad guys together.
In this hypothetical fictional movie, Wolverine would also respect Jean and Cyclops’ relationship and get a girlfriend who was more on his level (Silver Fox and Lady Deathstrike seemed like cool gals who could match his freak). Or they decide to be a throuple.
Despite so many X-Men and Marvel films, there’s been a surprising lack of these two popular comic book characters. You’d think that Marvel would see the value in investing in an action/adventure-romance film about two attractive people with superpowers, but I guess it made more sense to release four different Spider-Man films in ten years.
(Quick note: I’m aware that Marvel Studios only regained the rights to the X-Men in 2019, whereas it had the rights to a bunch of other properties before that, including Spider-Man in 2015, which does factor into how these stories are greenlit)
I don’t dislike Spider-Man, but could I please just have one good adaptation of Gambit’s story where he and Rogue are together and it doesn’t end in horrible tragedy? A live-action Gambit movie starring Channing Tatum was in developmental hell for a few years before being scrapped. So, I’m unsure if we’ll ever see this character on the big screen again. I do have some hopes.
Ryan Reynolds’ performance as Wade Wilson in “X-Men Origins” was well-received it eventually led to the creation of the “Deadpool” films. I love the Deadpool films’ depictions of various X-Men characters (like the pitch-perfect Colossus, who seemed to have been pulled straight from my dreams). Given the upcoming release of “Deadpool & Wolverine,” as well as some rumors about returning X-Men characters, there is a part of me that desperately hopes Gambit and Rogue will make an appearance. I’ve been disappointed before, so I’m trying to manage my expectations, but if “Deadpool & Wolverine” manages to deliver on the Rogue/Gambit content I’ve been thirsting for since the early aughts, I might have a heart attack.
While I wait for my dream of a live-action adaption to become reality, I’ve been comforted by various fanfiction works. My YouTube algorithm has helped me to find two fan-made films that feature these characters. While the budgets for these projects are clearly in the “zero dollars and zero cents” category, as a fan, I still enjoyed these projects and want to allow other fans to watch them. Just like when the Deadpool test footage leaked to unanimous fan approval, we might get our big-budget movie if we generate enough enthusiasm.
The first film is “Uncanny,” a 10-minute feature about Rogue and her reconciling the events of “Rogue #4.” She feels guilty about everything that went down with Cody Robbins (the first boy she ever kissed/drained) and Bella Donna (Gambit’s sort of evil Ex), and talks it out with Gambit. Alexa Cappiello does well in the role of “Rogue,” showing the seemingly invisible woman’s vulnerable side. I like how this story showed the more playful, flirtier side of Gambit’s character and why that balances so well with Rogue’s angst.
The second film, “Gambit: Playing For Keeps,” is a more ambitious project with a larger cast and decent special effects. In this story, Gambit takes part in a high-stakes poker game with a couple of very bad people, and then finds there’s more on the line than just money. Despite being a low-budget fan production, the film was a fun, action-packed story that utilized its mutant characters well.
Nick Bateman, who plays Gambit, does a decent job with the role, although this film is much more “action guy defeats the bad guys” rather than “smooth-talking Cajun woos cute Energy Vampire.” Eric Roberts also stars as the main bad guy, which was pretty impressive for a fan production.
My intense wishing will probably lead to nowhere. But fan interest can occasionally yield exciting results, and that could happen here. Although if Marvel greenlights a live-action “Rogue & Gambit” film, and Joss Whedon or Zach Snyder are involved, count me out.
Happy Hagfish 
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