First up, it seems that Gerard Butler, earlier rumored to be playing Sabretooth in the upcoming film adaptation, has denied having any involvement. According to movies online he “flat out” denied it at a recent press conference interview.

On another character front, we’re hearing some rumors about an actor possibly set to play Gambit. The Sunday Star Times has had a recent piece on Bailey Chase. You may have seen him in such shows as Ugly Betty and Saving Grace. With regards to his top secret role in Wolverine, he said,

“It’s very confidential and top-secret. I think they’re casting under alias names but for now, he’s called Mr Yellow.

“He’s about 30 years old, a charming southern guy on the surface but he’s got some ulterior motives going on underneath. By the end of the film, he’s probably not going to be such a nice guy.”

The circulating internet speculation is that this is in fact Gambit, but we can’t be certain and I’d like to emphasise this is of course just a rumor at the moment.

Thirdly, Aussie actress Natalie Imbruglia is rumored to have auditioned for a role in the flick, according to ENI:

The Torn singer had a secret screen test for a part in the film in Sydney, Australia two weeks ago”

Chud have posted up some of the X-men Origins rumors they have heard circulating the internet grapevine over the past few days. The rumor that they are putting the most trust in concerns the role of Sabretooth, expected to be played by 300 star, Gerard Butler.

Karl Urban was also in talks to play the character but these fell through. CHUD also state that director Gavin Hood wants Natalie Portman to play the role of Kayla, though their hopes are not set high.

The IESB are reporting that Wolverine’s love interest, Silver Fox, will be starring in the X-men Origins spin off. It has also been revealed that the most likely actress to play Silver Fox will be one Maggie Q.

Variety are reporting that the x-men spin-off shall be delayed, with a projected release date of May 1st, 2009, rather than a summer 2008 release. And that the Wolverine movie is now officially entitled “X-men Origins: Wolverine“, as we previously reported in a rumor round-up.

They also report that Liev Schrieber is in final talks to play the younger version of Logan’s nemesis, William Stryker (previously played by Brian Cox in X2).

As for the shooting schedule, Variety report that after the New Zealand shoot the crew shall travel to New Orleans to continue. There is much significance in this new location, as it holds the heritage of one particularly popular character. Specifically, this news suggests we may well witness (at last?) the inclusion of the much anticipated and loved Gambit character.