Austin Butler Electrifies as X-Men’s Gambit in Marvel Fan Art That Will Supercharge Your Day!
From Memphis to Arrakis, Austin Butler’s name is only getting bigger with each consistently praised performance he’s turning out. With this in mind, it would hardly be a surprise if Marvel Studios came calling for him to become a part of their ever-expanding universe. Whether he’s had a call yet or not, though, it seems fans have already settled on the perfect pick for his role. Concept artist Subi Özil on Instagram planted Butler in the iconic trench coat and headpiece of Remy LeBeau, aka Gambit from the X-Men.
Wrapped up in a flame-like aura surrounded by his signature weapons of choice, a deck of playing cards, Butler certainly looks the part to take on Rogue’s lovestruck Swamp Rat and member of the Thieves Guild. The design was part of Subi Ozil’s ongoing series of assigning “X-Men” characters to some famous faces, nailing precisely what they were after. “Continuing the X-Men series with @austinbutler as Gambit. Really happy with the way this turned out,” they wrote with the post, gaining praise from fans in the process.
It certainly feels like a good fit for Butler and one that, if the fans were loud enough about, could result better than the other character that the “Dune” star was rumored to be after. Long before his knife chipped and shattered in “Dune: Part Two,” Austin Butler was among many eyeing the role of Johnny Storm, aka The Human Torch, in the upcoming “Fantastic Four” movie.
Austin Butler was eyeing the Human Torch before Joseph Quinn took the heat
In 2022, Jeff Sneider revealed on the podcast “The Hot Mic” that Butler’s reps were pitching him for the role of the Human Torch when every strapping star was being eyed for the role. Of course, we now know “Stranger Things” star Joseph Quinn won the gig, joining the super-family after Marvel’s “Fantastic Four” revealed its final casting and release date for July 25, 2025.
While Butler might have lost out on that role, the charming Cajun drawl and energy-charged set of cards could be a better option than simply bursting into flame. We already know that he can handle himself in a fight, given that Austin Butler trained to the point of throwing up for “Dune: Part Two.” As Gambit, he could get his hands just as dirty as one of the iconic members of the mutant team that throws spades, diamonds, and clubs while breaking women’s hearts. If he did get picked, Butler might finally do the character justice in a way that Taylor Kitsch struggled with in “X-Men Origins: Wolverine and in the now untold story Channing Tatum had planned for his “Gambit” movie.
For now, we can only admire the work of Subi Özil and hope that Butler potentially gets dealt a good hand somewhere down the line. While he might’ve made a good Human Torch, he’d certainly make an excellent Gambit.
