Wizards of the Coast has announced four new Magic: The Gathering decks based on the Marvel Universe, set to arrive in 2027. The reveal came at New York Comic Con and centers on a compromise aimed at addressing long-standing criticism that “Universes Beyond” collaborations drift too far from the game’s fantasy roots.
The company unveiled Strange Academy, a set built around an original Marvel story crafted specifically to fit Magic’s mechanics. The deck draws on the 2020 comic series by Skottie Young and Humberto Ramos, in which Doctor Strange and Doctor Voodoo establish a school for young spellcasters in Louisiana.
This marks the first time Stephen Strange will appear as an actual commander in the game; his previous Magic printing depicted him only as a medical doctor. The Esper (white-blue-black) deck emphasizes blinking creatures, casting spells on creatures, and reusing spells in powerful ways.
The Four Decks
Gods of Asgard
Thor commands this Naya (red-green-white) deck, which focuses on increasing his power as much as possible. Filled with other gods and warriors, the deck centers on entering combat every round and is described as relatively simple to play.
Blade leads Marvel’s darker heroes—including Moon Knight and Ghost Rider—against the Universe’s vampires in this Orzhov (white-black) deck. The conflict plays out through gaining and losing life, with vampires draining opponents while Blade grows more powerful based on life gained.
Lords of Hel
This Rakdos (black-red) deck features Hela and Dormammu alongside many of Marvel’s demon lords, devils, avatars, and horrors. Players build armies of zombies and Mindless Ones to attack opponents, or sacrifice minions for card draw and small damage effects.
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