Actress Anna Paquin announced recently that she isn’t going to play Rogue in the new Gambit movie, a spin-off to the X-Men franchise, developed thanks to Channing Tatum. Paquin was having a small Twitter conversation with a fan who asked her whether she was going to appear in the Gambit movie and the actress simply said “no”.
So that gives us at least one hint about Gambit: Rogue won’t be his love interest. Or will she? After being cut from X-Men: Days of Future Past, Paquin might not want to return to the franchise under any condition, and who could blame her? I imagine she has other more interesting projects for her (like The Pink Hotel film adaptation, which she is producing) that don’t involve going back to something she did years ago.
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But in the original X-Men movies, which Bryan Singer seems to want to cancel out, Rogue is involved with Ice-Man and not Gambit, like it is in the comics. That could be another reason why Paquin will not be in it. Her “no” could mean “They’re not counting on me”.
Something which is also certain is the fact that the pre-production phase of Gambit is being rather tumultuous after Channing Tatum allegedly almost abandoned it (but really pressured Fox to get more money) and director Rupert Wyatt actually left.
Staying true to the comics this time, Rogue defines herself as a southern belle, as she was born in Mississippi. If Fox ever decided to cast a new actress to play Rogue, in either Gambit or any other X-Men film, here’s a few actresses who I think could pull it off:
Brie Larson
She has an impressive filmography, from hugely popular movies like 21 Jump Street and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, to indie gem Short Term 12 and the TV drama United States of Tara. She has proven to posses a wide range of acting habilities, although she has mainly leaned towards comedy. Apart from that, although Brie Larson is younger than Anna Paquin, she has a mature look.
Mary Elizabeth Winstead
Also appeared in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, playing Ramona Flowers. She has a sweeter look in comparison to Paquin, but she is closer in age and could pull off an action superhero movie. She has a few indie, horror, drama, and comedy films under her belt. She was also born in North Carolina, so she has the southern belle aspect down.
Brit Marling
I’m not sure that she would go for a role like Rogue, but Marling has shown time and time again how skilled an actress she is (playing a handful of strong female roles) as well as writer, producer and director. In The Keeping Room she flawlessly put on that important southern accent.
Saoirse Ronan
This might be an unpopular choice, but if they ever wanted to go for a younger-looking Rogue, this girl is brilliant in any kind of genre. So a superhero film would be a piece of cake for her. She’s lived in Ireland since she was very little, but with a good dialect coach she could master a southern accent. She starred Hanna, an action-adventure thriller for which she trained hard, so she already has that experience.
Dakota Fanning
In the same line of choosing a younger Rogue, Dakota has an incredible acting experience for her 21 years of age. We all know she has worked with some of the better recognized directors and veteran actors in Hollywood, and she’s also a real southern belle (born and raised in Georgia).
Who do you think could play Rogue?
