For the first time in its 33 year history, Magic: The Gathering is finally becoming a TV series. Fans have been clamoring for something like this since the game first became popular in the mainstream, and now Netflix is almost ready to deliver on their animated adaptation of the fantasy trading card game. Since it was announced, the deck has been stacked in Netflix’s favor, with Terry Matalas and Cindy Appel (Star Trek: Picard and VisionQuest) coming onboard as co-showrunners and later announcing the upcoming show would focus on the iconic pyromancer named Chandra Nalaar.
This joint production between Hasbro Entertainment and Wizards of the Coast is going to be something extra special, and Matalas feels it will scratch the proverbial itch that MtG fans waited decades for. “We have the ability to bring these characters to life in ways that the audience hasn’t seen before,” Matalas said in a statement via Netflix. “It’s really exciting.” The release is closer than ever, as Netflix finally revealed the title for the series during MagicCon in Atlanta, along with a description of what the focus of its story will be, and most importantly — when fans will be able to watch it.
The series will be titled Planeswalker, which is a direct reference to a specific group of powerful magic users gifted with something called the spark. If you already play MtG, there isn’t much need to explain further. If you don’t know the term means, I don’t want to spoil anything interesting for you so keep yourself in the dark until showtime. Along with its name, Netflix released an official synopsis for the show, which reads:
“PLANESWALKER chronicles the fierce clash between formidable mages known as Planeswalkers. At the center of this struggle for power and survival burns Chandra, a volatile pyromancer hunted for her gifts and haunted by her past,” the synopsis reads. “Confronted by an insidious force, Chandra and some of the most legendary Planeswalkers must harness their extraordinary abilities, navigate treacherous alliances, and battle their own inner demons to prevent a cataclysmic war that threatens to consume their very existence. As the line between victory and annihilation grows thinner, a single spark determines the fate of thousands of worlds.”
You can catch a sneak peek of the series in the official video below, along with additional artwork of Chandra:
Eagle-eyed fans will notice a few other familiar sights from the card game besides Chandra Nalaar, including an appearance from Ajani Goldmane. Jace Beleren, who was previously announced when the series was first being discussed, does not seem to be visible in this first look, but they may be keeping his debut closer to when the official trailers come out ahead of the shows release.
The creators have a massive sandbox to play with and reference, as thousands of cards at their disposal with nothing holding them back from using them as they wish. Visually, Planeswalker looks like it came straight out of the same universe as Arcane, the animated League of Legends show that earned critical and fan praise for its storytelling and lush art style. That’s because the same team who made that series, Digic, is back to bring Magic: The Gathering to life. As the video above explains, every location in the show will feature a different visual look, making for a very unique and immersive experience that mimics the diversity of the game’s numerous artists.
Joining showrunners Matalas and Appel as executive producers will be Academy Award winning animator and director Patrick Osborne, Hasbro’s head of television Gabriel Marano and Lauren Chavez-Myers from the toymakers TV development division. Osborne will also serve as the supervising director of the series, while Daisy May West (The Twits, Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight and Spirit Riding Free) is responsible for producing the show.
While an exact date hasn’t been revealed yet, the new series is expected to drop sometime in 2027. That’s as vague as it can be, but something is better than nothing considering how many years this series was in development and stuck in creative limbo. Stay tuned for more updates as they become available.
Are you ready to tap into Netflix’s new Magic: The Gathering series or should this be banished to the graveyard to never be seen? Join the conversation in the comments below.
