TheX-Men’sclassic design forGambithas finally made it to film after many years, but onecosplayergot there first, recreating his classic look several years beforeDeadpool & Wolverine. Gambit’s road to live-action stardom has been a rocky one, but this cosplay shows exactly why the hero is so appealing, while also highlighting one of cosplay’s most important strengths.
Cosplayer Lovro Belošević (@lovrothesupernaut) created the perfect Gambit cosplay in 2022, long before the character’s MCU debut.
In his cosplay, Belošević is the spitting image of the Cajun ‘tief, sporting Gambit’s classic head-sock, trench coat and purple armor fromhis original Jim Lee design.
Using a combination of practical effects and photo editing skills, Belošević’s brought Gambit’s powers to life with glowing trading cards and moody purple lighting. Belošević also highlights the work of @plottwist_produkcija in providing said lighting and photography for the cosplay shoot, showing how cosplay often functions as a collaborative project as well.
“Make Me Like Gambit”: Gambit Fans Share the X-Men Hero’s Greatest Moments in Social Media Challenge
Gambit can be a mixed bag for some people - either he’s loved, hated, or flat out wasted - but Twitter/X came through to show some love to mon chéri.
This Gambit Cosplay Captures His Look Way Better ThanX-Men Origins: Wolverine
Gambit has had a fascinating trajectory off the page when it comes toX-Menadaptations. His first live-action appearance, as portrayed by Taylor Kitsch, was in the generally deridedX-Men Origins: Wolverinein 2009, which gave him a design more reminiscent of a street magician than a superhero. Channing Tatum was then attached to a live-actionGambitsolo film that seemed stuck in development hell from the beginning. It was only thanks toDeadpool & Wolverine’scameo-tastic universe-hopping shenanigans was Tatum able to finally play his dream role, albeit a decade later.
Gambit has fared better in animation, with a star turn in the recentX-Men ’97, but he’s still surprisingly underrepresented in adaptations for a characterwith such broad appeal and name recognition. Part of this is due to just how messy manyX-Menlive-action projects have been. For many people, Gambit is a symbol of 1992’sX-Men: The Animated Series, whose aesthetic the first FoxX-Menfilms steered well clear of for a variety of very silly reasons.
Only in today’s age of superhero ubiquity has Gambit’s classic look made it to film, but cosplay got there first.
Great Cosplay Can Come From Anywhere
Beloševic is a Croatian creator and has highlighted how there isn’t as large a cosplay community in the country as there is in more central European nations.
Cosplay is something thatcanandshouldbe universal, and the spread of social media provides unique opportunities for cosplayers to foster their own local scenes while also getting contact and recognition from those overseas. Beloševic’sX-Mencosplay ofGambitis the perfect example, an incredible piece of work from an underappreciated community that proves that anywhere can have its own amazingcosplayscene.
