First Look at Netflix’s ‘Planeswalker’ Puts Chandra Center Stage After Years of Delays

Few adaptations have taken a longer road to the screen than the animated ‘Magic: The Gathering’ series at Netflix, which now appears to carry the title ‘Planeswalker‘. The project has changed hands, changed creative teams and even changed its leading characters since it was first announced. Through all of it, fans of the world’s best-known trading card game have been waiting for something concrete.

The story began in June 2019. Netflix announced it was joining forces with Joe and Anthony Russo, Wizards of the Coast and Hasbro’s Allspark Animation to bring the fantasy game to the screen. The first teaser image featured Chandra Nalaar, a fire-commanding planeswalker and member of the heroic group Gatewatch.

Now the wait has produced its first real footage. A 7-second teaser for ‘Planeswalker’ has arrived, and the series is set to land on Netflix in 2027. The clip is brief, showing a dark, swirling backdrop dotted with tiny points of light. The accompanying description says the show will chronicle the fierce clash between the formidable mages known as Planeswalkers, with Chandra at the center as a volatile pyromancer hunted for her gifts and haunted by her past.

The first peek at PLANESWALKER, a new animated series based on Magic: The Gathering coming to Netflix in 2027. The series will chronicle the fierce clash between the formidable mages known as Planeswalkers. At the center is Chandra, a volatile pyromancer hunted for her gifts and haunted by her past.

— Netflix (@netflix) November 13, 2026

That sounds like a long way from where the project started. In 2021, the show seemed to be on track: Brandon Routh was set to voice Gideon Jura, and the series was slated for late 2022. Then the Russos dropped out in 2021, and the earlier version was eventually scrapped.

Routh himself revealed in an interview that the prior version had been scrapped, which fueled fears that the series was dead. That worry came after Routh said it might not happen. Netflix’s answer arrived during Geeked Week 2024.

At that event, Netflix confirmed the series was now in production under the creative direction of newly appointed showrunner Terry Matalas, in partnership with Hasbro Entertainment and Wizards of the Coast. Matalas is known for his work on ‘Star Trek: Picard’, ’12 Monkeys’ and ‘MacGyver’. He was also named showrunner of Marvel’s ‘Vision’ series for Disney+.

In his statement, Matalas called the project a dream collaboration and thanked Netflix, Hasbro Entertainment, Wizards of the Coast and Patrick Osborne for helping bring the many worlds of ‘Magic: The Gathering’ to streaming. Fans noticed that the teaser art from that announcement appeared to show Ajani Goldmane on the right, with a glowing hand suggesting Chandra Nalaar on the left. The announcement also referenced the “Pyromancer’s Goggles,” a clear nod to Chandra.

One more detail will interest animation fans. A report from Star City Games said that Hungarian animation studio DIGIC Pictures will help bring the world of ‘Magic: The Gathering’ to life. The report doesn’t spell out how large the studio’s role is, so the final production credits will tell the full story.

Choosing Chandra as the emotional center is easy to understand. Her official profile describes her as a “confident, ardent, defiant Planeswalker” who joined Gatewatch, a group of Planeswalker heroes. A pyromancer who is hunted for her abilities and haunted by her past gives the writers a ready-made source of tension.

It also fits the show’s early promise of genre variety. The original pitch described a series that would cross the genres of suspenseful thriller, horror and drama, and a fiery protagonist on the run suits that tone. Whether that blend survived the reboot is not yet confirmed.

For all the excitement, the teaser answers very little. There is no premiere date beyond the year, no cast announcement and no word on whether Ajani is still part of the story. The new description focuses entirely on Chandra and the clash among Planeswalkers.

Even so, a first look is a major milestone for a series that spent years in limbo. After multiple reboots, a changed showrunner and a lot of fan skepticism, ‘Planeswalker’ finally has footage and a year attached to it. The next trailer will show whether the wait was worth it.

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