Spider-Man Enters Magic: The Gathering Universe: First Look Revealed

Did you catch our exciting reveal of the Magic: The Gathering crossover with Final Fantasy last week and wonder where the superheroes were? Well, brace yourself for some thrilling news: we're giving you an exclusive first look at six new cards from the upcoming Spider-Man set in Magic: The Gathering, along with details on all the products and packaging that will accompany this much-anticipated release.

Click through the image gallery below to explore all the Spider-Man cards featured in the Commander-focused Scene Box, booster packs, Welcome Decks, and more. Keep reading to dive deeper into what Wizards of the Coast has planned for this set.

Marvel's Spider-Man x Magic: The Gathering - First Card and Packaging Reveal

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Mark your calendars for September 26 when Marvel's Spider-Man set will hit the shelves. This set is the second fully draftable, Standard-legal release in Magic's Universes Beyond line following Final Fantasy, and the third overall after the Modern-legal Lord of the Rings set from 2023. Note that the cards in the Scene Box shown above are designed specifically for Commander and will not be Standard-legal.

Although Magic dipped its toes into the Marvel universe last year with a Secret Lair featuring Wolverine, Captain America, and others, Spider-Man marks the first full set inspired by the comics. Wizards of the Coast Executive Producer Max McCall explains the reasoning behind this decision, "Spider-Man needs a full set to do justice to the character and incorporate the many villains he's encountered over the years. Including characters from the Spider-Man canon in a smaller set would mean leaving too many beloved characters out. We could fit Gwen Stacy and Miles Morales into a non-Spider-Man specific set, but there wouldn't be room for Aunt May."

McCall further elaborates on the unique approach to designing a Universes Beyond set, "It flips the worldbuilding on its head. A typical Magic set needs to establish its setting and location while being engaging to play, but with characters like Spider-Man, there's already a level of familiarity. When we create a card that embodies the theme of 'great power bearing great responsibility,' we can add mechanical complexity because players already understand the story. Universes Beyond cards don't need to be 'simple'—we just need to highlight recognizable moments that resonate with fans."

Head Designer Mark Rosewater shares insights on how they translate Spider-Man's world into Magic's mechanics, "Magic's color pie is robust enough to depict heroism and villainy across all five colors. For example, Spider-Man would typically align with white, blue, and green colors, reflecting his sense of obligation, scientific origins, and connection to nature and destiny."

"We're not limiting ourselves to any one comic run or series," Rosewater adds. 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 the return of Welcome Decks—introductory decks designed to help new players learn the game in a low-pressure environment, often distributed for free by game stores.

In addition to this year's Final Fantasy set, Wizards of the Coast has also announced an upcoming set themed around Avatar: The Last Airbender. Before that, fans can look forward to two more 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: