An X-Men ’97 actor’s ‘feeling crazy’ for live-action MCU — but there’s a catch

Here's a bit of a curveball for you: the bloke who's brought Gambit to life in X-Men '97 is keen on jumping into the MCU proper — but he might be out of luck, thanks to decisions already made upstairs.

Who Wants In?

A.J. LoCascio — the fella behind the voice of Gambit (Remy LeBeau) in the animated X-Men '97 series, as well as the new Marvel Rivals game — has taken to social media with a bit of wishful thinking. He shared some nostalgia about Josh Holloway being perfect for Gambit in the early 2000s, complete with photos for good measure. A fan replied that LoCascio should just play the part himself in the MCU, since he already has the chops. LoCascio, for his part, clearly enjoys the idea but knows he's not holding the cards currently:

LoCascio responded on X, "SO flattered when folks say this. I hear this almost daily and it means so much to me. I would love any opportunity to keep playing my favourite Cajun."

He even jokingly threw it out there to MCU casting, letting them know he's represented by CESD Talent, if they get any mad ideas.

The Problem: Pre-Booked Gambit

There's a snag, though, and it's a fairly big one. The MCU has already gone ahead and cast Channing Tatum as Gambit. Tatum made his debut (finally, after years of rumour and development hell) in the 2024 film Deadpool & Wolverine, and, according to Variety, he's expected to pop up as the character again in Avengers: Doomsday. So, unless Kevin Feige fancies a surprise recast or multiversal twist, the live-action cards are stacked against LoCascio for now.

The next live-action Avengers outing, Avengers: Doomsday, arrives on 18 December 2026, with Avengers: Secret Wars following a year later.

After all that, the real X-Men ensemble film is slated for May 2028 — so if Channing Tatum's Gambit is still around then, that probably settles the matter.

Who's in the New X-Men Lineup?

The other big bit of news came from the 2026 D23 event, where Marvel officially rolled out their main X-Men cast. Here's how the new team shakes out:

• Sadie Sink steps in as Jean Grey (first appearing in Spider-Man: Brand New Day)
• Kit Connor as Cyclops (Scott Summers)
• Samara Weaving is Emma Frost
• Christopher Abbott plays Professor X
• Inde Navarrette as Rogue
• Maya Boys signed for Storm
• Adam Driver is lined up as Mister Sinister

Whether LoCascio will ever squeeze into the live-action Gambit trench coat remains as unlikely as ever with the spotlight on Hollywood regulars, but clearly, the fan support (and LoCascio's willingness) isn't going anywhere.