Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
A.J. LoCascio knew Gambit could return long before fans did — and had to dodge questions about it for years.
In Collider’s X-Men '97 interview, A.J. LoCascio explains what happened after he learned Gambit would die in Episode 5. Months later, he received a picture of Gambit as Death and a “shush” emoji, giving him an early hint about the character’s future. LoCascio says he kept the secret for at least two years while fans repeatedly asked whether Gambit was coming back.
LoCascio also breaks down developing Death Gambit’s deeper, spookier voice while preserving the character’s humanity around Rogue. He explains why removing Gambit’s familiar rhythm and cadence changed the character too much and reflects on initially being asked to closely match Chris Potter’s original performance.
Composers Taylor Newton Stewart and Andrew Grush of The Newton Brothers discuss creating Dark Gambit’s musical identity with fiddle, guitar, harmonica, and other sounds. Executive producer Matthew Chauncey also discusses the creative philosophy behind X-Men '97: finding fresh uses for mutant powers while pushing and bending established canon without breaking it.
Chapters:
0:00 A.J. LoCascio on Gambit’s Return
1:11 Gambit’s Death Design
2:35 Scoring Dark Gambit
3:27 Finding Death Gambit’s Voice
5:04 Honoring Chris Potter’s Gambit
6:45 Pushing X-Men Canon Without Breaking It
9:26 The Relief of Revealing Gambit’s Return
Our Social Media:
facebook.com/collider
x.com/Collider
Our Website
collider.com
Video By Maggie Lovitt & Dano GS
For copyright matters, please contact us at: legal@valnetinc.com
#xmen97 #ajlocascio #gambit
A.J. LoCascio knew Gambit could return long before fans did — and had to dodge questions about it for years.
In Collider’s X-Men '97 interview, A.J. LoCascio explains what happened after he learned Gambit would die in Episode 5. Months later, he received a picture of Gambit as Death and a “shush” emoji, giving him an early hint about the character’s future. LoCascio says he kept the secret for at least two years while fans repeatedly asked whether Gambit was coming back.
LoCascio also breaks down developing Death Gambit’s deeper, spookier voice while preserving the character’s humanity around Rogue. He explains why removing Gambit’s familiar rhythm and cadence changed the character too much and reflects on initially being asked to closely match Chris Potter’s original performance.
Composers Taylor Newton Stewart and Andrew Grush of The Newton Brothers discuss creating Dark Gambit’s musical identity with fiddle, guitar, harmonica, and other sounds. Executive producer Matthew Chauncey also discusses the creative philosophy behind X-Men '97: finding fresh uses for mutant powers while pushing and bending established canon without breaking it.
Chapters:
0:00 A.J. LoCascio on Gambit’s Return
1:11 Gambit’s Death Design
2:35 Scoring Dark Gambit
3:27 Finding Death Gambit’s Voice
5:04 Honoring Chris Potter’s Gambit
6:45 Pushing X-Men Canon Without Breaking It
9:26 The Relief of Revealing Gambit’s Return
Our Social Media:
facebook.com/collider
x.com/Collider
Our Website
collider.com
Video By Maggie Lovitt & Dano GS
For copyright matters, please contact us at: legal@valnetinc.com
#xmen97 #ajlocascio #gambit
