Magic: The Gathering (TV series)

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This article or section discusses lore from assorted media that is difficult to reconcile with the established canon.
Ambiguity
Ambiguous
This article or section discusses lore from assorted media that is difficult to reconcile with the established canon. Official statements to resolve the conflicts either do not exist, or contradict each other.
“To be honest, I’m not quite sure what’s going to happen.”
Teaser image for the Terry Matalas production, featuring Chandra and Ajani.

Magic: The Gathering is a animation series based on the TCG Magic: The Gathering, that was first reported to be in production in June, 2019 but was later confined to Development Hell.[1] The series, created by Hasbro’s Wizards of the Coast, was planned to be released on Netflix.[2] In September 2024, Netflix announced the series production would start anew with a new showrunner in Terry Matalas.[3]

Description

During its Geeked Week previews, Netflix announced that a new production of an animated Magic: The Gathering series had started under the direction of Terry Matalas.[4] At MagicCon Las Vegas 2024, Matalas confirmed that he had been working on the show since July 2023 and that Chandra, Ajani and Jace were main characters.[5]

In an interview on Katee Sackoff's YouTube channel uploaded on May 20, 2025, Matalas stated that the show's story had come out of Matalas wanting to tell a story focused on Chandra. He also revealed that the show was at that moment still in the casting and animatics phase due to the long process of animation needed.[6] He emphasized that the project will be a CGI project, a choice made because animation is deemed the most effective way to depict the vast and varied worlds and planes of existence inherent to the Magic: The Gathering universe, which would be prohibitively expensive to achieve in live-action television without an enormous budget.[7]

At the Annecy Animation Film Festival on June 12, 2025, Netflix officially announced that the Hungarian DIGIC Pictures had been chosen as the animation studio for the series. With Terry Matalas leading the writing, Oscar winner Patrick Osborne directing and art direction by Simon Rogers, the story is said to center on the three Planeswalkers traversing wildly distinct magical realms. While not expected until 2026, the show was described as one of Netflix's most ambitious animated series to date.[8][9]

History

Early attempts

As early as 2001, a mini-series for television was considered by Wizards of the Coast, and Mark Rosewater wrote a story treatment.[10] In 2008, the plans were shelved when an agreement was struck with Universal for a Magic: The Gathering movie. However, neither this movie nor subsequent initiatives led to concrete products.

Russo brothers production

In June 2019, it was reported that Joe and Anthony Russo (Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame) would executive produce the series.[1] The Russos would oversee the creation of an all new storyline and expand on the stories of the Planeswalkers.

The Magic: The Gathering was said to feature creative talent from Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Batman: The Animated Series, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Firefly, Agent Carter, Ultimate Spider-Man, and The Lego Movies.[1]

Octopie would have overseen production of the series, with Todd Makurath, Eric Calderon, and Dave Newberg serving as producers, and Mike Larocca and Isaac Krauss serving as executive producers. Henry Gilroy (Star Wars Rebels, Star Wars: The Clone Wars) and Jose Molina (The Tick, Agent Carter) would have served as lead writers and co-executive producers on the series, and Yoriaki Mochizuki would serve as supervising director and co-executive producer.

Animation on the series would have been done by Bardel Entertainment. Hasbro's representation was in the hands of Allspark Animation.

Jeff Kline production

Out-take featuring the art for Exquisite Firecraft (Magic Origins).

In August 2021, it was reported that a new creative team led by executive producer Jeff Kline (Transformers: Prime) was put in place.[11] It was said that the Russos and their team, including head writers Henry Gilroy and Jose Molina, had departed early in the process over different visions for how best to adapt the IP. The parting of the ways was amicable, and Netflix subsequently tapped Kline to oversee the creation of an all-new storyline.

Kline’s team includes Co-Executive Producer and Story Editor Steve Melching (Star Wars: The Clone Wars), Supervising Director Audu Paden, Art Director Izzy Medrano, and Writers Nicole Dubuc, Russell Sommer & Dan Frey, and Taneka Stotts. The animation will be done by Snowball Studios, taking over from the originally announced Bardel Studio.[11] Hasbro's studio Entertainment One represents the company on the series production.

On August 4, 2021, it was announced that the series would be screened in the second half of 2022.[12] It would star familiar, fresh, and reimagined characters in a whole new story. The main character is to be Gideon Jura, who is voiced by Brandon Routh.[13] Its release was said to be supported by "robust consumer products" offerings.[14]

Unfortunately, that was the last time the audience heard about the show, with many assuming that the radio silence meant the show had been unceremoniously canceled. However, in October 2023, Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks mentioned that the series was still in the works.[15]

When asked about the project's status in September 2024, Routh said: "I'm not sure. I did do a voice for it. As far as I understand, nobody's put out a press release about it, but apparently it's not happening."[16]

Setting

Mark Rosewater repeatedly stated that Wizards of the Coast didn't want a movie or TV show with people from Earth traveling to Magic’s worlds.[17]

Canonicity

According to the earliest reports, the story, worlds and characters were going to be true to their preexisting spirit, but the TV Series was going to have its own continuity space similar to how other franchises had done that with adventures in a new medium.[18] In other words, the TV series will not be canon.[19]

Live-action project

In April 2020, it was reported that Netflix was working on a live-action project besides the animated miniseries.[20] The two projects weren’t be related. Angelina Jolie was reportedly considered to play Liliana Vess.

With Legendary Entertainment

On February 6, 2025, Legendary Entertainment and Hasbro Entertainment announced in a joint statement that they had reached a deal licensing Magic: The Gathering to Legendary for development into “a live-action feature film and television universe,” starting with an initially planned movie, then expanding to other media.[21]

See also

References

  1. ↑ a b c Netflix and the Russo Brothers Join Forces With Wizards of the Coast For First of Its Kind Animated Series Magic: The Gathering.. Netflix (June 3, 2019).
  2. ↑ Netflix Geeked (November 30, 2021). "There's so much to be Geeked about in 2022". Twitter.
  3. ↑ Peter White (September 19, 2024). "‘Magic: The Gathering’: Netflix Starts Animated Adaptation From Scratch With Terry Matalas As New Showrunner". Deadline.
  4. ↑ Jean Bentley (September 20, 2024). "A Magic: The Gathering Animated Series Is Heading to Netflix". Netflix (Tudum).
  5. ↑ The Foundations of Magic’s Next Era (Video). Magic: The Gathering. YouTube (October 25, 2024).
  6. ↑ Terry Matalas Talks 12 Monkeys, Vision Quest, Magic: The Gathering and Picard (Video). Katee Sackhoff. YouTube (May 20, 2025).
  7. ↑ Marco Vito Oddo (May 23, 2025). "Netflix’s Magic: The Gathering Series Finally Gets an Update (& It Sounds Great)". Comicbook.com.
  8. ↑ Alex Reiff (Jun 12, 2025). "Netflix Unveils New Animated Series Details at Annecy Festival". Laughingplace.com.
  9. ↑ Kasey Moore (June 14, 2025). "DIGIC Pictures Tapped To Animate ‘Magic: The Gathering’ Series for Netflix". Whats-on-netflix.com.
  10. ↑ Mark Rosewater (February 22, 2016). "Untold Tales". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  11. ↑ a b Nellie Andreeva (August 20, 2021). "‘Magic the Gathering’: Jeff Kline Leads Creative Team Of Netflix Animated Series After Russo Brothers Depar". Deadline.com.
  12. ↑ Adam Styborski (August 24, 2021). "What Happened In Magic Showcase 2021?". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  13. ↑ Magic Showcase 2021 (live) (Video). Magic: The Gathering. YouTube (August 24, 2021).
  14. ↑ Hasbro (April 25, 2022). "Hasbro Board of Directors Issues Letter to Shareholders". Hasbro.com.
  15. ↑ David McCoy (October 26, 2023). "Magic Revenue Grew 20% in Q3 2023—and the Magic Netflix Show Lives!". Hipsters of the Coast.
  16. ↑ Rob London (September 10, 2024). "Netflix's 'Magic: The Gathering' Series Is Officially Dead". Collider.
  17. ↑ Mark Rosewater (July 14, 2017). "Is there any particular reason that Earth is decidedly NOT part of the multiverse?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
  18. ↑ Jennifer Maas (July 18, 2019). "Russo Bros’ ‘Magic: The Gathering’ Series Will ‘Be True’ to Card Game’s Story – But Carve Out Its Own Continuity". The Wrap.
  19. ↑ Mark Rosewater (July 19, 2019). "Will the Russo brothers Magic show share a canon with the card game or just be based on it?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
  20. ↑ Tim Brinkhof (April 11, 2020). "Angelina Jolie Reportedly Eyed To Lead Magic: The Gathering Live-Action Movie". Wegotthiscovered.com/.
  21. ↑ Tasha Robinson (February 6, 2025). "Magic: The Gathering movie greenlit from Dune and Dark Knight studio Legendary". Polygon.com.
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