Why we'll have to wait a while to see Channing Tatum's awesome superhero character

Channing Tatum was cast as Gambit nearly two years ago, but it seems like we're still not any closer to seeing his version of the X-Men character any time soon.

"X-Men" producer Simon Kinberg told Slash Film that the character's voice still needs to be found.

"I think the truth is when you have these movies that need a very special and unique tone, it takes a little while to find that tone," Kinberg told Slash Film.

"'Deadpool' feels like it exploded out of nowhere but it was a ten-year development process on that movie," he continued. "I think it was honed over those ten years. I hope that 'Gambit' doesn't take ten years but it takes a little honing to get that tone and that voice exactly right. The character has such a specific voice in the comic in the same way that 'Deadpool' has a specific voice in the comic, that we want to make sure that we capture that voice on the page. Really it's just about getting a screenplay that is worthy of that character and I think we're really close right now."

Seeing as how "Deadpool" was a box-office juggernaut, it's no surprise 20th Century Fox wants to hold off on the project. (It also has those "Avatar" sequels to take care of.)

The project is already on its second director, Doug Liman, after it lost original director Rupert Wyatt because of scheduling conflicts.

Gambit is a mutant who can manipulate kinetic energy at his will. He is skilled in card-throwing and often uses playing cards as weapons when energized with his power. Taylor Kitsch played the character in "X-Men Origins: Wolverine."

"Gambit" was originally slated for a October 2016 release but is likely going to take up one of the slots listed on Fox's lineup as untitled Marvel projects for October 2017 or January 2018.