Netflix has canceled its planned animated series based on Magic: The Gathering, Collider reports. The series, which had been in the works since 2019 and was originally set to debut back in 2022, will no longer be moving forward, adding to a series of recent cancellations of animated projects at Netflix.
Brandon Routh, who was to voice the character Gideon Jura—a Planeswalker in the game—confirmed the news during an interview for his latest film at the Toronto International Film Festival. Routh shared that the project had been completed in terms of writing and recording but noted;
“I’m not sure. I did do a voice for it. As far as I understand, nobody’s put out a press release about it, but apparently it’s not happening. That’s kind of old news. I’m not sure why it’s surfacing again.”
The series had initially attracted a high-profile production team, including directors Joe and Anthony Russo and a host of experienced writers and directors from popular franchises like Star Wars and Transformers. However, following the departure of the Russo brothers over creative differences, the series saw a complete overhaul in its production team, with Jeff Kline stepping in as the new executive producer.
The decision to cancel the Magic: The Gathering series comes amidst a spate of cutbacks by Netflix, which has also axed several other in-development animations. This pattern of cancellations follows similar difficulties faced by other adaptations of the game. Previously, a feature film by 20th Century Fox was discontinued when Disney acquired the company.
Source: Tabletop Gaming News
