Netflix is recreating Magic: The Gathering into an animated series. The franchise first started out as a tabletop card game by Richard Garfield in 1993.
The series was officially announced during the Wizards of the Coast’s Magic Showcase 2021 stream by Daniel Ketchum, the principal designer of franchise development for Netflix. He also confirmed Brandon Routh as the voice actor for Gideon Jura.
"It [Magic: The Gathering] is completely new, a completely fresh jumping-on point," Ketchum added. "So you can bring your friends, bring your family who have never touched a magic card in their lives and they will be able to enjoy the ride from episode one."
Scroll through to learn everything we know about the animated series so far.
'Magic: The Gathering' Cast
As stated earlier, actor Routh, who played Superman in the 2006's film Superman Returns, will voice the popular Magic: The Gathering hero Gideon Jura.
"I am really excited about this show and really proud and honored to be a part of it," the actor said during the announcement. The character played by Routh is the heart of the story. He is known for being "the strong guy who always stands up for what's right and isn't afraid to fight."
Routh has a reputation for playing prominent roles in big projects. For instance, he played Ray Palmer, a.k.a. The Atom, on The CW’s Arrow and went on to reprise that role in both The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow.
He has also appeared in films like Zack and Miri Make a Porno and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World.
The principal designer also confirmed that all the voice actors had been cast, and the audio recordings for the first season were completed already. But he did not give out the names of other voice talents.
Production Team
It was previously announced that the Russo Brothers would be leading the series, but after their reported exit, the show’s creative team is being led by Jeff Kline.
Kline, who has been involved in more than 40 animated and live-action series and pilots, has Steve Melching as the co-executive producer and story editor.
Similarly, his team includes Izzy Medrano as art director and Audu Paden as supervising director. Similarly, Nicole Dubuc, Russell Sommer, Dan Frey, and Taneka Stotts are the show's writers.
Snowball Studios is in charge of animation while eOne will serve as the studio.
The Story and Release Date
Magic: The Gathering will narrate the story of Gideon and Jace Beleren, including how they met and their road trip as they right wrongs across the multiverse. The story will also see the sourness in their relationship.
The first season of Magic: The Gathering has been slated to debut sometime in 2022, along with a prequel novel by Django Wexler.
The Magic franchise originated in the form of a tabletop card game, which was subsequently adapted into a digital game, eSports league, comic book series, and a New York Times best-selling novel.
The franchise reportedly has a combined 40 million fans with publications in eleven languages in over 70 countries.
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