Magic: The Gathering's Potential to Surpass Netflix's Top Fantasy Series
Owen Barnes
Updated on May 17, 2026
By Published May 15, 2026, 11:15 AM EDT
Memory Ngulube joined Screen Rant in April 2026 as part of the Movies and TV team. Since then, she has written for the Perennials and Streaming team, covering a wide range of topics from new releases to old movies and TV shows. Memory is currently a Classic TV writer.
Before joining Screen Rant, Memory was a freelance copywriter who specialized in email marketing and social media management. While she enjoyed her job, her true passion was always movies and TV.
When she isn’t writing for Screen Rant, Memory can be found reading, baking (which is one of her passions), or watching her favorite K-drama.
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Netflix struck gold with One Piece and Wednesday and is aiming to do the same with an upcoming fantasy TV show. Since their debut, these two titles have demonstrated that the streamer can transform beloved IP into global sensations. With the ongoing streaming wars, have propelled the streamer to the top of the list, setting a benchmark for how series rich in lore and nuanced characters should be brought to the small screen.
In 2019, it was announced that Netflix would create an animated TV show based on the popular card game, . At the time the news broke, Avengers’ Joe and Anthony Russo were slated to be at the helm of the series, but dropped out of the project due to creative differences with Netflix about the direction the show should take. Losing the Russo brothers was undoubtedly a huge blow for MTG, given the respect their name alone commands, but the project has thankfully soldiered on.
Debuting in 1993, MTG is widely recognized as the world’s first trading card game and has a huge and loyal fanbase. will focus specifically on Planeswalkers, powerful spellcasters with varying levels of power, such as spellcasting and summoning creatures.
There isn’t a lot of information available about the MTG TV show except that it is finally in production with Star Trek: Picard’s Terry Matalas serving as showrunner and executive producer, and Patrick Osborne as the supervising director and executive producer. With such a recognizable IP, Magic: The Gathering has the potential to become one of Netflix’s biggest fantasy shows and might even surpass One Piece and Wednesday’s popularity.
Magic: The Gathering Could Be Bigger Than Netflix's Current Fantasy Shows
are a dime a dozen on Netflix, and standing out in the oversaturated genre is something that isn’t easily done. Magic: The Gathering, however, isn’t starting from scratch. The TCG already has more than 50 million players worldwide, which in turn ensures that at least some people who have played the game will tune in to watch the animated series.
Aside from the TV show hailing from a popular IP, MTG also has infinite storytelling potential. The MTG game includes several characters and multiple worlds, so it could go on for several years, particularly if the Netflix adaptation becomes a success. If Magic: The Gathering is executed properly, it could attract not only the players of the game but also non-players who would be interested in the series’ rich lore. The show is also going to be animated, which makes things easier because creating a vast world in live-action form doesn’t always work.
So many fantasy TV shows on Netflix have ended up canceled or have dwindling viewership numbers. MTG is in a special position because it could learn from the mistakes of other series in the genre, especially when it comes to finding the balance between being faithful to its source material and including fresh stories.
Netflix's Fantasy Output Gives Us Hope Magic: The Gathering Will Be Good
Netflix’s recent track record with the fantasy genre gives us real reason to believe that Magic: The Gathering is in good hands. Shows like The Witcher, Shadow and Bone, One Piece, Wednesday, and Arcane have proved that the streamer is capable of handling sprawling narratives., but the streamer has also evolved, which is good news for MTG.
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Netflix’s upcoming fantasy show has all the markings to not only be one of the streamer's biggest shows but also to surpass The Witcher.
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Sure, The Witcher isn’t perfect, but it is still a solid fantasy series. Arcane, which is arguably the best fantasy show on Netflix, has demonstrated that the genre sometimes works better in animation.
MTG is known for its dense mythology and expansive multiverse, and bringing something that massive to the small screen will be a huge task. Thankfully, Magic: The Gathering will be arriving at a time when Netflix has refined its fantasy storytelling methods.
Magic: The Gathering is a strategic collectible card game where players use customized decks featuring creatures, spells, and abilities to reduce opponents’ life totals to zero. It combines fantasy themes with tactical gameplay, resource management, and deck-building. Published by Wizards of the Coast, it remains an influential trading card game over three decades after its initial release in 1993
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