Marvel Nearly Broke Up Gambit x Rogue For Good, But One Creator Managed to Shut Down the Separation

Rogue and Gambit are widely considered Marvel's best couple, and with good reason. Their love story has spanned decades, culminating in their long-awaited marriage. However, this fan-favorite X-Men couple wasn't always destined to be together. In fact, before they walked down the aisle, Marvel had plans to break up Rogue and Gambit for good.

Kelly Thompson, the writer of 2018's Rogue & Gambit miniseries, spoke about her experience with writing this beloved romance in an episode of the "Women of Marvel" podcast that centered on Rogue. When discussing how she ended up penning their story, Thompson had this to say:

Rogue and Gambit had definitely sort of fallen away from each other for a long time. And Marvel came to me. They knew I was interested in both characters. And they were like, well, “OK. Well, maybe we're thinking about something for Rogue and Gambit.” And so, that was how it came to be. And then we were leaving it actually kind of open as to whether it would actually get them back together, or just sort of come to an understanding and they'd go their separate ways.

According to Thompson, Marvel had been uncertain about Rogue and Gambit's fate, and had even considered splitting them up at the end of the miniseries' final issue. Luckily, Thompson's narrative took a different direction and instead preserved the X-Men's best superhero romance, so fans of Rogue's relationship with Gambit can now rest easy.

Gambit and Rogue Almost Called It Quits Until Their Writer Stepped In

Thanks to Kelly Thompson, Rogue Finally Made Her Relationship With Gambit Official

Rogue and Gambit's "will-they-won't-they" romance has piqued fans' interest for years. Because Rogue absorbs the powers of anyone she touches, she's historically pushed Gambit away due to her fear of hurting him. There have been times when they've had other partners as a result of their inability to be fully intimate - Rogue has a romantic past with various characters throughout Marvel lore, including Deadpool and Magneto - but these star-crossed X-Men always come back to each other in the end. That is, until Marvel considered ending their on-and-off relationship so they could move on at last.

Kelly Thompson knew how she wanted things to end up for Rogue and Gambit, and her wishes were integral to their marriage taking place. In the podcast, Thompson explained how the resolution for the couple was decided.

And then, while I was working on it, it was the idea from Marvel to get them married. And so, we were like, “well, I guess we're getting them back together at the end of this.” Which was, of course, what I wanted. So Rogue and Gambit really delves into a lot of their past stuff. They go to therapy while they're trying to rescue some mutants.

Although Marvel made the suggestion for Rogue to marry Gambit, Thompson's passion for their love and execution of their reunion is what made this outcome possible. Rogue & Gambit forced them to resolve their issues via couples therapy and strengthened their relationship like never before, proving they could take the next step. Thompson's care for Rogue and Gambit thus solidified their relationship at a time when it hung in the balance.

Rogue and Gambit's Marriage Won't Be Coming to An End Any Time Soon

Rest Assured, Marvel's Best X-Men Romance Is Doing Better Than Ever

X-Men fans now have nothing to worry about, because Rogue and Gambit won't be going anywhere for the foreseeable future. These lovebirds finally tied the knot in X-Men Gold #30 by Marc Guggenheim and David Marquez after Kitty Pryde's wedding with Colossus fell apart, and they've been happily married ever since. Currently, Gambit is part of Rogue's new team, with the two fighting side-by-side in epic battles alongside their students. Their relationship has had its fair share of ups and downs throughout X-Men history, but thanks to Kelly Thompson's intervention, Gambit and Rogue's romance is here to stay.

Source: Women of Marvel

X-Men

Movie(s)

X-Men (2000), X2, X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009), X-Men: First Class (2011), The Wolverine (2013), X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), Deadpool (2016), X-Men: Apocalypse (2016), Logan (2017), Deadpool 2 (2018), Dark Phoenix (2019), The New Mutants, Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)

First Film

X-Men (2000)

TV Show(s)

X-Men: Pryde of the X-Men, X-Men (1992), X-Men: Evolution (2000), Wolverine and the X-Men (2008), Marvel Anime: Wolverine, Marvel Anime: X-Men, Legion (2017), The Gifted (2017), X-Men '97 (2024)

Character(s)

Professor X, Cyclops, Iceman, Beast, Angel, Phoenix, Wolverine, Gambit, Rogue, Storm, Jubilee, Morph, Nightcrawler, Havok, Banshee, Colossus, Magneto, Psylocke, Juggernaut, Cable, X-23

Video Game(s)

X-Men: Children of the Atom (1994), Marvel Super Heroes (1995), X-Men vs. Street Fighter (1996), Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter (1997), Marvel vs. Capcom (1998), X-Men: Mutant Academy (2000), Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes (2000), X-Men: Mutant Academy 2 (2001), X-Men: Next Dimension (2002), Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds (2011), Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (2011), X-Men Legends (2005), X-Men Legends 2: Rise of Apocalypse (2005), X2: Wolverine's Revenge (2003), X-Men (1993), X-Men 2: Clone Wars (1995), X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse (1994)

Comic Release Date

213035,212968

The X-Men franchise, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, centers on mutants with extraordinary abilities. Led by the powerful telepath Professor Charles Xavier, they battle discrimination and villainous mutants threatening humanity. The series explores themes of diversity and acceptance through a blend of action, drama, and complex characters, spanning comics, animated series, and blockbuster films.

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