Legendary and Hasbro have their first Magic: The Gathering star.
The fantasy franchise pitting players against each other as dueling wizards utilizing a variety of cards from a specialized deck is considered one of the most iconic in the tabletop community alongside fellow Wizards of the Coast classic Dungeons & Dragons. Development on a Magic: The Gathering movie originally began at 20th Century Fox in the mid 2010s before Disney’s acquisition of the studio led to its shelving, with Hasbro eventually electing to partner with Dune‘s Legendary Entertainment to produce a cinematic universe.
Now, as first reported by Deadline, Maya Hawke has become the first star to join Magic: The Gathering movie cast. Sources report that the Stranger Things star is playing a “key” role in the film that is coming with an “ensemble” feel, with Hawke also said to have not had to audition for the part, but instead was made a “priority” to cast.
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Hawke’s casting for the Magic: The Gathering movie marks an encouraging show of progress in its development. Though the film and TV show were both originally announced in February 2025, it wouldn’t be until June that year that the studios would tap Calls duo Noah Gardner and Aidan Fitzgerald to pen its script. It would then take another eight months for Tony‘s Matt Johnson to come onboard as director, while reports also indicate he is revising the script.
Beyond the actual development timeline, Hawke’s casting also marks a notable shift for the star back toward blockbuster filmmaking territory. After finding her breakthrough success with her turn as Robin in Netflix’s Stranger Things, Hawke largely shifted toward more modest or indie fare. Just prior to Magic, though, she made a return to big-budget fare with Inside Out 2 and the upcoming Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping as well-liked District 3 tribute, Wiress.
With Hawke now set as a reported key core to the Magic: The Gathering movie’s cast, the question will now turn to both what the story looks like for the fantasy adaptation, and what kind of roster of characters it will be centered on. Given there are over 30 years’ worth of multiverse-based lore and story expansions, the film could go in any number of directions, from a group of original creation magic users fighting for survival in the world, to actively adapting key characters and storylines from the various releases.
Rearrange the movies into the correct US release order.
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The other big question surrounding the Magic: The Gathering movie as it goes further into its casting process is what studio Legendary and Hasbro will partner with for release. Hasbro was previously collaborating with Netflix for an animated series adaptation of the game, some of which was previewed at 2025’s Annecy International Animation Film Festival. Given the streamer is also working with the company on a live-action Dungeons & Dragons series, they may be keen to stay in business with Hasbro and Hawke to build out the Magic: The Gathering cinematic universe.
Magic: The Gathering is a strategic collectible card game where players use customized decks featuring creatures, spells, and abilities to reduce opponents’ life totals to zero. It combines fantasy themes with tactical gameplay, resource management, and deck-building. Published by Wizards of the Coast, it remains an influential trading card game over three decades after its initial release in 1993
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