Spider-Man's Magic: The Gathering Crossover Unveiled

If you were captivated by our unveiling of the Magic: The Gathering and Final Fantasy crossover last week and found yourself wondering, "Where are the superheroes in all this?" then today's announcement will thrill you. We're offering an exclusive first look at six new cards from the upcoming Magic: The Gathering's Spider-Man set, along with a detailed look at the accompanying products and packaging.

**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. Continue 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

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Set to launch on September 26, Marvel's Spider-Man marks the second fully draftable, Standard-legal set in Magic's Universes Beyond series, following the Final Fantasy set and the Modern-legal Lord of the Rings set from 2023. Unlike what you might expect, this set won't include any preconstructed Commander decks. Instead, **the cards in the Scene Box featured above** are tailored for Commander and **will not** be Standard-legal.

Although a Secret Lair featuring Wolverine, Captain America, and others marked Magic's initial foray into the Marvel universe last year, Spider-Man represents the first complete set inspired by the comics. Wizards of the Coast Executive Producer Max McCall explains that a smaller product wouldn't have done justice to the vast universe of Spider-Man. "Spider-Man needs a full set to do justice to the character and incorporate the many villains he's encountered over the years," McCall states. "Including characters from the Spider-Man canon in a broader set would leave too many important figures out. While we might have squeezed in Gwen Stacy and Miles Morales, there wouldn't have been room for characters like Aunt May."

McCall also highlights the unique approach to designing for a Universes Beyond set, saying it "flips the worldbuilding on its head." Unlike typical Magic sets, which need to establish a setting and storyline while also being engaging to play, Universes Beyond sets can leverage the pre-existing familiarity with characters like Spider-Man. "When we create a card that embodies great power and great responsibility, we can introduce more mechanical complexity because fans already know the story behind it," McCall notes. "We don't need to simplify Universes Beyond cards; we just need to choose moments that are recognizable and easily understood by fans."

In terms of translating these iconic moments and the broader world into a Magic set, Head Designer Mark Rosewater emphasizes the versatility of Magic's color pie. "We have the ability to depict heroism and villainy across all five colors," Rosewater explains. He further elaborates that Spider-Man aligns with white, blue, and green, noting the specific version in the Scene Box as white and blue. "Spider-Man's obligation to use his powers for the greater good is central to the white color pie. His origin from a scientific mishap and his technological innovations like the web-slingers are distinctly blue. And his powers being derived from an animal, along with a destiny tied to spiders and the Spider-Man universe, are fundamentally green."

"We're not limiting ourselves to any one comic run or series," says McCall. Alongside the Scene Box, the set will include Play Boosters, Collector Boosters, Bundles, and Prerelease Packs, all showcased in the gallery above. While there won't be preconstructed Commander decks, this set will bring back Welcome Decks – introductory decks that game stores typically offer for free to help new players learn the game with minimal pressure.

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 with 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:*