Brandon Routh has boarded Magic the Gathering, a new animated series based on the popular fantasy card game. In the works at Netflix for a planned 2022 release, the series will feature Routh voicing the lead character, Gideon Jura. The announcement was officially made during Wizards of the Coast’s Magic Showcase 2021 stream, and no other cast members have yet been named.
Also during the stream, it was announced that a prequel novel to the animated series is also in the works from author Django Wexler. The plan is for the novel to release in conjunction with the series, which the streamer also set for a 2022 release. In the novel, the Planeswalkers Gideon Jura and Jace Beleren embark on an adventure together to right wrongs across the multiverse.
RELATED: Magic: The Gathering Animated Series Is Coming to Netflix from The Russo Brothers
Full plot details have not yet been released, but it’s been reported that Netflix’s Magic: The Gathering series will focus on the Planeswalkers, the name used for the hero and villain characters of the game. The cartoon was first announced in 2019 with the Russo Brothers originally on board to oversee the series, and at the time, they said the idea was to develop the animated series with the potential to spin it off into a live-action Magic: The Gathering movie or series.
The Russo Brothers have since stepped down from the series, and Jeff Kline has been brought in to lead the creative team. Also on board are Steve Melching to serve as co-executive producer and story editor with Nicole Dubuc, Russell Sommer, Dan Frey, and Taneka Stotts serving as writers. Audu Paden is the supervising director. Izzy Medrano will serve as art director with animation handled by Snowball Studios, replacing Bardel Entertainment.
Brandon Routh is probably best known for playing the titular superhero in 2006’s Superman Returns. In the superhero realm, he is also known for playing Ray Palmer, aka The Atom, on the CW show Arrow. Through the Arrowverse crossover event Crisis on Infinite Earths, Routh also reprised his role as Superman in 2019. On the big screen, the actor’s other movie credits include Dylan Dog: Dead of Night, Zack and Miri Make a Porno, and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.
Created as a tabletop collectible card game by Richard Garfield, Magic: The Gathering was first released in 1993 by Wizards of the Coast. In the years since, the game has grown exponentially in popularity with billions of cards produced for millions of fans across the world. It has been published in 11 languages in over 70 countries and has ventured into other mediums like novels, comic books, and digital games. The Netflix will be the first cartoon show based on the card game.
An exact release date has not been revealed for the Magic: The Gathering animated series at Netflix, but the streamer has announced that the show will arrive in 2022. While the Russo Brothers are no longer involved, their sentiment that Netflix could eventually turn to live-action for Magic could still hold true if the show is a success next year. Casting Routh seems to be a good start. This news comes to us from Variety.
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