Thanks to being around for 31 years at this point Magic: The Gathering has no shortage of lore. We’ve seen iconic characters rise and fall as well as plenty of multiversal threats and intense battles. On paper, it seems like MTG is the perfect game to get an animated adaptation, perhaps one financed by Netflix. Sadly, this incredibly interesting idea just isn’t meant to be.
It has finally been revealed that the long-awaited Netflix Magic: The Gathering show has been canceled. Considering we’ve barely heard a peep about this show in several years, this should hardly be the biggest surprise. In fact, it’s barely a revelation that the show has been dead for a long time now.
Routh Reveals All
Technically, Wizards of the Coast or Netflix haven’t officially come out to say that the animated MTG show is canceled. Instead, this revelation comes from the actor Brandon Routh. Speaking in an interview with Collider for their new movie Ick, Routh revealed the MTG Netflix show is long dead.
“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. That’s kind of old news. I’m not sure why it’s surfacing again.”
Brandon Routh
During the interview, Routh didn’t give any explanation as to why the show was canceled, just that it has been. Considering they were only the voice of Gideon Jura on the show, this isn’t the most surprising. What is more interesting, however, is the fact this is “old news,” according to Routh.
While there’s no telling how old “old” is, the Netflix show supposedly still existed in October 2023. This was the last time we heard it being publically addressed by Hasbro in an investor presentation. Obviously, quite a bit of time has passed since then, and Routh would know a lot more than what we’ve heard since they’re in the show.
Ultimately, following the SAG-AFTRA strike in 2023, the MTG Netflix show being canceled wouldn’t be a surprise. If we’re honest, the show being canceled before then wouldn’t be a massive revelation either. As much as it had promise, the development of the MTG Netflix show was seemingly fraught with problems.
Difficult Development
Throughout the show’s shorter-than-expected lifespan, the creative team behind the MTG show changed dramatically multiple times. At first, the project had an all-star team which made it seem like a surefire success. The Russo brothers, of Avengers Endgame fame were set to produce while Henry Gilroy and Jose Molina were head writers.
Sadly, this cast wasn’t to last as they departed over creative differences not long into the project. Following this, a new team helmed by Transformers: Prime producer Jeff Kline picked up the reigns, however, this evidently didn’t last. In their article, Collider suggests the series was scrapped due to Netflix’s cost-cutting measures, which seems about right.
Ultimately, we can’t say we’re surprised by this official cancellation. The MTG Netflix show was originally slated to launch in 2022 and we’re obviously long past that. Since we haven’t heard anything concrete about the show since then, the fact it faded into nothingness is no surprise.
MTG Show 2: Electric Boogaloo?
So, the Magic: The Gathering Netflix show is dead, that much we know now. What’s less clear, however, is if we’ll ever get a new show, animated or otherwise, in the future. Given the recent tide of video game shows and movies, there’s a non-zero chance something may actually happen. As mentioned, MTG has no end of fantastic lore and stories to tell, and Wizards definitely wants more casual players.
Looking ahead, an episode of Amazon’s Secret Level may be a good starting point, provided it gets a second season. In case you’re unfamiliar, Secret Level is an “adult-animated” anthology series that tells stories from a variety of game franchises. Think Netflix’s Love Death and Robots but for video games and you’ll be in the right ballpark.
Admittedly, there’s been no indication that anything like this is on the cards. However, Wizards is already working with Amazon. Season one of Secret Level has an episode dedicated to Dungeons & Dragons, so an MTG episode might not be a giant leap. If this happens and it proves successful, Wizards could greenlight additional projects.
For now, no such projects are planned and it’s probably better to not get your hopes up. Evidently, even when shows are greenlit they’re hardly set for success, so remaining skeptical seems safe.
