Magic: The Gathering has been a smash hit since the collectible card game first debuted in 1993. The franchise has since expanded to include comic books, novels, and even video games (one starring a then-unknown Rhea Seehorn). However, Magic has struggled to make the leap from card to screen, as a number of movie and TV projects have fallen by the wayside over the years. Now, however, it looks like it might finally be in the works.

The Magic: The Gathering animated series was first announced by Netflix in 2019; Joe and Anthony Russo were slated to produce it. Two years later, they announced that Brandon Routh had been cast to play the lead; the series was subsequently written and recorded, but was cancelled, as per Routh in 2024, as part of a mass cancellation of many of Netflix‘s animated projects. However, in 2024, Netflix announced that the series was back on their release slate, and would now be showrun by Star Trek: Picard‘s Terry Matalas. However, there has been no news of the project since then. Meanwhile, plans for a Magic: The Gathering movie have been on the drawing board for over a decade; at last report, Matt Johnson (Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie) was slated to direct it.

It seems that Netflix has pulled the series out of the graveyard once more. In a recent press release touting its slate of popular animated programs, the streamer listed Magic: The Gathering as being “upcoming,” which is a more optimistic prognosis than the series has received in some time. It’s not a surprise that the property is finally making its way to the screen; the game brings in $1 billion USD in revenue every year, and Wizards of the Coast, the Hasbro subsidiary that produces it, estimates that there are 50 million Magic players worldwide.

What Is ‘Magic: The Gathering’?

A collectible card game introduced by Wizards of the Coast in 1993, Magic: The Gathering takes place in a realm of high fantasy. Players take on the role of powerful wizards known as Planeswalkers; they tap the energy, or “mana” of the realm to cast spells and unleash magical creatures against their foes. In recent years, the game has features special sets of cards from an array of franchises, including Marvel Comics, Star Trek, and Masters of the Universe.

A Magic: The Gathering animated series is in development at Netflix.

via Collider