Netflix revealed the first image of “Planeswalker,” its long-delayed animated Magic: The Gathering series. The show follows the fire mage Chandra and is set to premiere in 2027.
Netflix’s Magic: The Gathering cartoon is finally real.
The streamer has revealed the first image from its animated series, now titled “Planeswalker,” Variety reports. The show is set to debut on Netflix in 2027. An exact date has not been announced.
Netflix also released a behind-the-scenes video showing early animation.
What is “Planeswalker” about?
“Planeswalker” is a fantasy series set in the world of Magic: The Gathering, the trading card game.
Netflix describes it as an epic saga about a clash between powerful mages called Planeswalkers. At the center is Chandra, a fire-wielding mage who is hunted for her powers and haunted by her past.
Collider reports that Chandra will have to team up with other Planeswalkers to stop a war that could spread across thousands of worlds.
The first image shows Chandra holding a flame in her hand and looking up, Pixel Twelve reports.
Who is Chandra in Magic: The Gathering?
Chandra Nalaar is one of the best-known characters in Magic: The Gathering. She is a pyromancer, which means she controls fire.
In the game, Planeswalkers are powerful mages who can travel between different worlds, called planes. They are the game’s main heroes and villains.
Chandra was also the face of Netflix’s very first teaser for the show back in 2019.
Who is making “Planeswalker”?
The show has a new creative team, according to Netflix:
Showrunner: Terry Matalas
Co-showrunner: Cindy Appel
Supervising director: Patrick Osborne
Producer: Daisy West
Animation studio: DIGIC
Matalas ran “Star Trek: Picard” Season 3 and “VisionQuest,” Collider reports. Osborne directed the Disney short “Feast,” which won an Oscar.
DIGIC is a Budapest-based studio known for detailed CGI animation. Netflix made the series with Hasbro Entertainment and Wizards of the Coast, which owns Magic.
Why did the Magic: The Gathering show take so long?
The series has been in the works since 2019.
Netflix first announced it with Joe and Anthony Russo, the “Avengers: Endgame” directors, attached. The Russos left in 2021, and their version was scrapped, Animation World Network reports.
In 2024, Brandon Routh, who had been cast in the earlier version, said he believed the show was no longer happening, Variety reports. Not long after, Netflix named Matalas the new showrunner and said the series was in production.
When does “Planeswalker” come out on Netflix?
Netflix has only said 2027. A specific premiere date will come later.
The reveal lined up with MagicCon, where Wizards of the Coast shared news with fans this weekend, according to Kantan News.
Some fans have already compared the early footage to “Arcane,” Netflix’s hit animated “League of Legends” series, Pixel Twelve reports.
What did the behind-the-scenes video show?
Netflix paired the image with a development diary. In it, Matalas and Appel talk about building a huge multiverse story, Kantan News reports. They described each of the thousands of cards in the game as a window into a different world.
The early footage shows Chandra and Ajani Goldmane, a lion-like warrior from the game, moving in full CGI for the first time. The video also shows piles of Magic cards on the team’s table as reference, Pixel Twelve notes.
What is Magic: The Gathering?
Magic: The Gathering is the first modern trading card game. Richard Garfield created it, and it launched in 1993.
Players build decks of cards that stand for spells, creatures and magic items, then battle each other. The game has grown into a huge franchise with a digital version, novels, comics and a pro esports scene.
“Planeswalker” will be the first animated series based on the game.
Will you watch “Planeswalker” when it hits Netflix? Tell us which Planeswalker you want to see next.
Article compiled and written by Kambrea Pratt (editor-in-chief), Derek Gibbs (beat editor) and the Pirates & Princesses newsroom. Pirates & Princesses is part of WebReef Media.
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Hat Tips:
Variety (Nov. 13, 2026), the first-look image, the 2027 window and Brandon Routh’s 2024 comments
Gaming Trend (Nov. 14, 2026), Netflix’s official description and full credits
Collider (Nov. 13, 2026), the plot details and Matalas’s past work
Animation World Network (Nov. 14, 2026), the 2019 announcement and the Russos’ exit
Kantan News (Nov. 13, 2026), MagicCon, DIGIC and Patrick Osborne
Pixel Twelve (Nov. 14, 2026), the first image and fan reaction
Digital Trends (2019), Magic’s 1993 launch and creator
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