If you’ve been eagerly following the crossover between video games and trading card games, you might recall last week’s unveiling of Magic: The Gathering’s Final Fantasy collaboration. But what happens when the spotlight shifts from fantasy realms to the vibrant world of superheroes? Well, prepare to swing into action because today brings the first look at six brand-new cards from Magic’s highly anticipated Spider-Man set, along with all the accompanying products and packaging.
Click through the image gallery below to explore every Spider-Man card featured in the Commander-focused Scene Box, booster packs, Welcome Decks, and more. Stay tuned as we dive deeper into insights from Wizards of the Coast about this monumental release.
Marvel's Spider-Man x Magic: The Gathering - First Card and Packaging Reveal
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Scheduled for release on September 26, Marvel’s Spider-Man marks the second fully draftable, Standard-legal set in Magic’s Universes Beyond lineup, following Final Fantasy. It’s also the third overall entry in this series, after the Modern-legal Lord of the Rings set released earlier this year. Unlike previous entries, however, this set won’t feature preconstructed Commander decks. Instead, the cards inside the Scene Box showcased above won’t align with Standard legality—they’re crafted specifically with Commander gameplay in mind.
Last year’s Secret Lair release featuring Wolverine, Captain America, and others marked Magic’s initial foray into the Marvel universe. However, Spider-Man stands out as the first complete set inspired directly by the comics. According to Wizards of the Coast Executive Producer Max McCall, this decision came down to sheer necessity. “Spider-Man needs a full set to do justice to the character and encompass the multitude of villains he has encountered throughout his history,” McCall explains. “Had we opted for a smaller product, beloved characters like Gwen Stacy and Miles Morales would inevitably have been left out.”
McCall highlights that creating a Universes Beyond set flips traditional Magic set design on its head. While most Magic sets require their cards to establish a setting while remaining engaging to play, fans already bring existing knowledge of Spider-Man to the table. “When we craft a card reflecting themes like great power bearing great responsibility, there’s ample room for mechanical depth since players intuitively grasp the narrative behind it,” McCall notes. “We don’t need to simplify Universes Beyond cards; we merely select moments familiar to fans, ensuring they resonate effortlessly.”
AnswerSee ResultsHead Designer Mark Rosewater further elaborates on translating Spider-Man’s essence into Magic mechanics. He reveals that the color pie provides sufficient versatility to depict both heroism and villainy across all five colors. For instance, Spider-Man embodies white due to his moral obligation to protect others, blue through his scientific ingenuity, and green via his connection to nature and destiny.
“We’re not restricting ourselves to any single comic run or series.” In addition to the Scene Box, the set will include the customary Play Boosters, Collector Boosters, Bundles, and Prerelease Packs, as illustrated in the gallery above. Although no preconstructed Commander decks will be available, this marks the reintroduction of Welcome Decks—themed starter decks handed out by game stores to introduce newcomers to the game in a stress-free manner.
This year’s Final Fantasy set isn’t the only Marvel-inspired project on the horizon. Wizards of the Coast has also teased an Avatar: The Last Airbender-themed set. Two additional Universes Beyond sets will precede it, focusing on Tarkir: Dragons of Storm and a space-themed collection titled Edge of Eternities.
Read on for the full, unedited interview with Wizards of the Coast’s Max McCall and Mark Rosewater:
