The Magic: The Gathering card game has been expanding far beyond its normal settings with its Universes Beyond line, which brings cards based on outside properties into the game. Several Universes Beyond sets were recently announced, but Wizards of the Coast was keeping one under wraps until now: Marvel Comics.
Hasbro, which owns Wizards of the Coast, has announced that its partnership with Marvel has expanded to allow Marvel characters to appear in Magic: The Gathering. This set is due to be released in 2025, and is stated to be a “tentpole Magic set.” This means it will likely include several preconstructed Commander decks, as well as booster packs containing Marvel-themed cards
According to Dan Buckley, President of Marvel Comics and Franchise: “Trading cards have always been a part of Marvel’s DNA, so this collaboration takes that experience to a whole new level. With the depth that our storytelling and characters bring to the table, we can’t wait for fans to see how the Marvel Universe translates seamlessly into gameplay within these Magic: The Gathering products and sets for years to come.”
Perhaps the most surprising part of this announcement is that Marvel is appearing in a Magic: The Gathering set before Disney’s Lorcana card game, given that Marvel is owned by Disney. But Lorcana is still relatively new (and sold out everywhere), so no crossovers with other Disney IP have been announced yet.
As this has just been announced, we do not currently know what the sets will consist of, what Marvel characters will make the leap to Magic, or any further details (although our Editor-in-Chief has been demanding pictures of Spider-Man cards).
However, previous Universes Beyond sets have all included a set of Commander decks, while others (like Lord of the Rings) have also included booster packs and related Secret Lair sets. Most recently, the Doctor Who expansion featured collector’s packs that featured alternate art versions of the cards from the Commander decks. More recently, Wizards has begun revealing previews of the Fallout Universes Beyond cards.
The Marvel Comics Universes Beyond set won’t release until 2025, so there is plenty of time to learn more. In the meantime, Magic players can still look forward to plenty more Universes Beyond, including Fallout, Assassin’s Creed, and Final Fantasy.
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