If you caught our reveal of Magic: The Gathering's Final Fantasy crossover last week and found yourself wondering, "Video games are great, but where are the superheroes?" then today's announcement will thrill you. We're excited to offer a sneak peek at six new cards from the upcoming Spider-Man set, along with a comprehensive look at all the products and packaging that will come with it.
Click through the image gallery below to explore all the Spider-Man cards featured in its Commander-focused Scene Box, booster packs, Welcome Decks, and more. Keep reading to learn more about the set directly from Wizards of the Coast.
Marvel's Spider-Man x Magic: The Gathering - First Card and Packaging Reveal
21 Images
Set to launch on September 26, Marvel’s Spider-Man will mark the second fully draftable, Standard-legal set in Magic’s Universes Beyond series, following the Final Fantasy set, and the third overall after 2023's Modern-legal Lord of the Rings set. Unlike what you might expect, this set won't feature preconstructed Commander decks. Instead, the cards in the Scene Box shown above are designed specifically for Commander play and won’t be Standard-legal.
While a Secret Lair featuring Wolverine, Captain America, and others marked Magic's initial foray into the Marvel universe last year, Spider-Man will be the first full set inspired by the comics. Wizards of the Coast Executive Producer Max McCall explains that a full set was necessary to fully capture the essence of Spider-Man and his extensive cast of characters and villains.
"Spider-Man needs a full set to do justice to the character and incorporate the many villains he’s come across over the years," McCall states. "Selecting characters from the Spider-Man canon for a wider set would mean leaving too many important figures out. We could fit Gwen Stacy and Miles Morales into a non-Spider-Man specific set, but there wouldn't be room for characters like Aunt May."
McCall adds that designing for a Universes Beyond set allows for a different approach to worldbuilding. "In a typical Magic set, the cards need to establish the setting and be engaging to play. But with a character like Spider-Man, where many players are already familiar, we can focus on moments that resonate with fans and add mechanical complexity to reflect the story of great power and great responsibility."
Head Designer Mark Rosewater highlights how Magic’s color pie accommodates the portrayal of heroism and villainy across all five colors. "Spider-Man’s sense of responsibility aligns with the white color pie. His scientific origin, including his web-slingers, fits into the blue color pie, and his connection to spiders and destiny is inherently green," Rosewater explains.
Alongside the Scene Box, the set will include Play Boosters, Collector Boosters, Bundles, and Prerelease Packs, all showcased in the gallery above. Although there won't be preconstructed Commander decks, the set will feature Welcome Decks—introductory decks distributed by game stores to help new players learn the game in a relaxed setting.
In addition to this year's Final Fantasy set, Wizards of the Coast has announced an upcoming set themed around Avatar: The Last Airbender. Before that, fans can look forward to two in-universe sets: Tarkir: Dragontsorm and the space-themed Edge of Eternities.
Read on for the full, unedited interview with Wizards of the Coast’s Max McCall and Mark Rosewater:
