MAGIC: THE GATHERING Netflix Animated Series PLANESWALKER Reveals Sneak Peek Video and 2027 Release Date
Netflix is finally pulling back the curtain on Planeswalker, its long-in-development animated series based on Magic: The Gathering, and we've got our first look at the fantasy adventure with a sneak peek video, and confirmation that the series will premiere in 2027.
The sneak peek invites fans into the massive fantasy universe and introduces some of the characters who will shape the story. Netflix shared the footage with the following tease:
"Step into the worlds of PLANESWALKER and meet the people who will shape them. Every great story begins with a spark. Here’s your first look at PLANESWALKER, based on Magic: The Gathering. Coming to Netflix in 2027."
The series is being developed in partnership with Hasbro Entertainment and Wizards of the Coast, and it will explore a massive conflict involving some of the most powerful characters in the Magic: The Gathering universe.
At the center of the story is Chandra, a volatile pyromancer whose extraordinary powers have made her a target. She's also haunted by her past, which becomes an even bigger problem when a sinister force threatens the multiverse.
Chandra must team up with legendary Planeswalkers, powerful mages capable of traveling between the infinite dimensions of the Magic multiverse. Together, they'll face dangerous enemies, uneasy alliances, and their own personal demons as they fight to prevent a catastrophic war that could destroy thousands of worlds.
There's some really cool potential here, especially with the insane amount of fantasy lore Netflix has to work with. Magic: The Gathering was created by Richard Garfield in 1993 and has grown into a massive global phenomenon.
According to Hasbro, the game has attracted tens of millions of tabletop and digital players across more than 150 countries, generating more than $1 billion in annual revenue.
Getting this animated series made, however, has been its own ridiculous Hollywood adventure. Netflix originally announced the adaptation back in 2019, with Joe Russo and Anthony Russo attached as executive producers and Henry Gilroy and Jose Molina serving as head writers. The Russo brothers eventually departed over creative differences, and Jeff Kline stepped in to lead the project in 2021.
Development later stalled before Netflix revived the series with Terry Matalas, known for Star Trek: Picard, taking over as showrunner and executive producer.
Matalas is joined by co-showrunner and executive producer Cindy Appel, with Patrick Osborne also executive producing and serving as supervising director. Gabriel Marano is executive producing for Hasbro Entertainment, while Lauren Chavez-Myers serves as co-executive producer. Daisy West is producing, and Digic is handling the animation.
Netflix hasn't announced an episode count or an exact premiere date beyond the 2027 release window. Meanwhile, Legendary Entertainment and Hasbro are also developing a live-action Magic: The Gathering movie, with Maya Hawke attached to star. Hollywood clearly has big plans for the franchise, and it'll be interesting to see how these two projects turn out.
After seven years of development drama, Planeswalker finally looks like it's getting somewhere. The franchise has decades of lore, memorable characters, wild creatures, and an entire multiverse to explore. There's more than enough material here to make one hell of an animated fantasy series.
Planeswalker is coming to Netflix in 2027.