LOST star Josh Holloway is being tipped to star in the next X-MEN movie as fan favourite GAMBIT.

Holloway, who plays SAWYER on the hit TV show, was set to star as Gambit in X-MEN: THE LAST STAND but pulled out because of TV commitments.

But it's reported the model/actor will star in the next installment, which will not feature many of the film's original stars, including Hugh Jackman, SIR Ian McKellen and Halle Berry.

The film's producer LAUREN SCHULER DONNER tells Moviehole, "Remember in Lost? There was a guy in there that was the perfect Gambit, the guy with the straight hair, good-looking, the bad boy… Sawyer.

"The reason we didn't use Gambit was because in a sense his persona is a bit like WOLVERINE in that he's got attitude and his power is not quite as exciting as the others.

"That's why we went to NIGHTCRAWLER on 2 because he looked different than everybody else and he had a great power. So yes, I think we would weave Gambit within our story, (but) it wouldn't be The Gambit Movie".

Gambit possesses the ability to charge objects with energy, causing them to explode.