by: S. Scott Stanikmas – Senior Staff Editor

After Rupert Wyatt left Gambit, FOX’s next hopeful mutant franchise, the rumor mill started grinding with possible replacements for him. Recently Doug Liman’s name came up as a hopeful to helm the Cajun mutant’s solo effort. But now some new names have also been added to the mix.

Heroic Hollywood says that Shane Black and Joe Cornish are also being considered for the directing job.

Black has proven himself time and time again, whether it’s as a screenwriter on films like Lethal Weapon, Lethal Weapon 2 and Predator or as a writer / director on films like the highly underrated Kiss Kiss Bang Bang or Iron Man 3. But Shane Black is supposed to be working on the Predator reboot, so he might not be available.

Cornish is a little more of a wild card. While he only has one directing credit to his name it’s the critically acclaimed Attack the Block. He also did some script work on Ant-Man with Edgar Wright before the film took a different direction.

I wasn’t too big a fan of Attack the Block. It was good, just not great. If it came down to the three I’d rather see Black get it, as I think he’d be able to conform to what the studio needs while still infusing his own view throughout the project.

Whatever the case may be, FOX needs to jump soon if they hope to make the projected October 7, 2016 release date.

Channing Tatum and Lea Seydoux are still attached to star, with Tatum playing the role of the pyrokinetic Cajun.