Fanboys everywhere are squealing with glee as Twentieth Century Fox announces that they have set a date for the eagerly awaited and horribly titled X-Men Origins: Wolverine. The film will hit theaters on May 1, 2009 and, of course, star Hugh Jackman as Marvel’s short-tempered, adamantium-clawed mutant. In addition to release date excitement, Variety reports that Liev Schreiber is in talks to play a younger version of William Stryker, Wolverine’s nemesis who was played by Brian Cox in X2.

What excites me? Rumors that the film (to be directed by Tsotsi’s Gavin Hood), which will be partially filmed in New Orleans, will include the previously left out X-man, Gambit. If I had a dollar for every playing card I lost/ruined by imitating the cartoon version of the Cajun mutant, I’d be freakin’ rich.

A few other new mutants (as well as returning ones) are expected to make appearances. Fox is also trying to get the origin story of X-Men villain Magneto off the ground and into theaters.