Fox’s X-Men franchise continues to grow and thrive, with the recent success of X-Men: Days of Future Past and The Wolverine, the studio is looking to other mutants to expand their franchise. One of the first films will be focus on Gambit. Channing Tatum has already been confirmed to play the Ragin’ Cajun, and now there are new reports of the project gaining more steam.

According to Deadline, a new writer has been tapped to pen the script, which will be based on Chris Claremont’s treatment of the character. Hit the jump for more.

Deadline reports that Fox has hired Robocop scribe Josh Zetumer to write the screenplay. Interestingly enough, the screenplay will be actually based on an earlier script written by Chris Claremont. Claremont’s writings for the Wolverine’s limited series run in 1982 was actually the inspiration for 2013’s The Wolverine.

Tatum’s Free Association partner Reid Carolin will produce, as will The Donners Company’s Lauren Shuler Donner, and Genre Films’ Simon Kinberg.

Gambit is another fan-favorite mutant. Though he made his debut back in 1990, it was only until his appearance in the X-Men Animated Series that his popularity started to grow. The animated series provided snippets of his back story and connection to the Thieves Guild, which may or may not be the basis of the screenplay.

For those who may not know the character, Gambit has the ability to charge any matter into kinetic energy. With a deck of playing cards as his weapons of choice, he can use hit mutant powers to charge each card into an explosive projectile.

Tatum is currently filming Magic Mike XXL. He was most recently in 22 Jump Street, and can next be seen alongside Steve Carell in Bennett Miller-directed Foxcatcher.

[Source: Deadline]