Tatum, a self-professed comic book fan, holds the trench-coated mutant near and dear to his heart. According to Tatum, Gambit has always been his number-one superhero and one to which he feels a personal connection.

"Man, I was dying to play [Gambit]," Tatum told MTV News. "My dad's from Louisiana and I think I've always just gravitated towards Gambit in general. He's just cooler than anything to me."

Tatum very nearly got his chance when he was all-but cast as Gambit's alter ego, Remy LeBeau, in Brett Ratner's "X-Men: The Last Stand". The character, however, was dropped at the last minute.

"They didn't end up putting his character in because he's such a big character that they were waiting..."

When it was decided that Gambit would make his big-screen debut in "Wolverine" instead, Tatum was immediately contacted about the role, but found that it would be impossible to work out in terms of schedule due to his commitments with "G.I. Joe." The role ultimately went to Taylor Kitsch instead, a choice that Tatum endorses with just a little bit of jealousy.

"I'm really interested to see how the guy plays him because I have a pretty clear version of Gambit in my head," Tatum. "I'm sure the guy is going to be great, though."

What do you think of Tatum as Gambit? In a head-to-head with Kitsch, who throws the better cards? Share your thoughts below!