It’s a great time to be a Netflix subscriber, as the platform has myriad exciting upcoming releases across different genres. One of the streamer’s most anticipated TV shows is a sprawling fantasy saga that promises to be bigger than The Witcher. For many, The Witcher was seen as a series that could compete with the likes of prestige fantasy shows like Game of Thrones.
But as the seasons continued, The Witcher simply didn’t deliver on fans’ high expectations. The live-action adaptation of the beloved franchise lost its way, but at least it taught several upcoming Netflix fantasy projects, like Magic: The Gathering, not to make the same mistakes.
If Done Right, Netflix’s Magic: The Gathering Will Be Bigger Than The Witcher
It might seem like when it comes to fantasy series, Netflix always misses the mark. Either the adaptation doesn’t elevate the source material, or the show is canceled before it can truly take off. However, the streaming giant has also proved it can produce some memorable fantasy TV shows, as shown by Arcane and One Piece.
The success of these series demonstrates that Netflix shouldn’t be written off when it comes to high fantasy. In 2019, the streamer announced that it would be adapting the beloved TCG game, Magic: The Gathering, into an animated series. A strong production team, including the Russo brothers, Henry Gilroy, and Jose Molina, was set to be at the helm of adapting the IP, but they have since left the show.
It’s been nearly seven years since we learned of the Magic: The Gathering animated series, and we are finally close to seeing the game on the small screen. As of this writing, the showrunner for the fantasy series is Terry Matalas (12 Monkeys, MacGyver, Star Trek: Picard), and his impressive resume suggests that he might be the perfect person to adapt the video game.
In the past, Netflix has been at the helm of some remarkable animated TV shows, including The Witcher’s spinoff movies. So while The Witcher series wasn’t great, the animated films somehow redeemed the show and simultaneously proved that Netflix shines when it comes to telling animated stories.
Magic has been around for more than three decades and has a lot of lore behind it that could pave the way for a multi-season show. With so much source material to adapt, the creators of the series have the pick of the litter when it comes to stories. Add in great characters from the game, and it makes creating a masterpiece series so much easier.
What Magic: The Gathering Can Learn From The Witcher’s Downfall
The Netflix adaptation of Andrzej Sapkowski’s novels and games was initially a must-watch. Henry Cavill was excellent as Geralt of Rivia, the monsters were terrifying, the worldbuilding was impeccable, and the action sequences were entertaining.
However, The Witcher lost its steam. Its first season was great, but it began to decline in quality. Sure, this is normal for most fantasy TV shows, but some things were simply inexcusable. The Witcher ignored what made its source material one of a kind. For instance, the show didn’t really delve into its dark themes of grief and death.
This, in turn, made it a series that put action ahead of storylines that would have added to its depth. Magic can avoid this by incorporating the things that separate it from regular game adaptations, even if it makes the series more mature, because it will ultimately benefit from complex character arcs.
The Witcher‘s source material is quite vast and includes several supporting characters. One of the series’s cardinal mistakes is not shining the spotlight on them more often. Queen Calanthe, for instance, had a bigger role in the books, but that didn’t translate into the show. Fortunately, this means that Magic now knows that its secondary characters are as important as its primary protagonists.
Although Cavill was a fantastic Geralt of Rivia, there are some inconsistencies in his portrayal. As much as the actor nailed some of Geralt’s characteristics, the show mostly watered down the empathetic and introspective side to him. The recasting to Liam Hemsworth also did not help, as some fans are still lamenting the loss of Cavill as Geralt.
Magic: The Gathering will be an animated series, and that, in a way, paves its road to success. However, it’s imperative that it sticks to the most important parts of its source material, such as the way the characters will be depicted. If the show rushes through its storylines and doesn’t give audiences a chance to understand its protagonists, then it will be headed in the same direction as The Witcher.
Magic: The Gathering Can Go Head-To-Head With Prime Video’s Critical Role Shows
Prime Video’s library offers a great number of animated TV shows. Invincible and the Critical Role series, The Legend of Vox Machina and The Mighty Nein, have received ample praise from both audiences and critics. While it might be tempting to lump the Critical Role games and Magic: The Gathering together, they couldn’t be more different.
Critical Role began as a group of professional voice actors playing Dungeons & Dragons on camera. Three years later, the voice actors started streaming their activities on Geek and Sundry and eventually formed Critical Role. The authenticity of the group’s chemistry, fortunately, carried over into Prime Video’s Vox Machina.
Magic: The Gathering, on the other hand, is a collectible trading card game. In the game, players have to take on the roles of powerful wizards called Planewalkers, who have the ability to summon creatures and cast spells. In order to win, players can use magical artifacts to defeat their opponents.
MTG became an instant hit and has generated over $1 billion in annual revenue, proving that players truly do enjoy it. With such an impressive fanbase, MTG can compete with Prime Video’s Critical Role TV shows. Undoubtedly, many fans of the game will be looking forward to seeing their favorite characters.
Netflix also has a chance to bring in fresh audiences in the form of non-players. If the story and characters are executed properly and have a rich background, then the upcoming high fantasy show will certainly be a crowd-pleaser.
- Release Date
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December 20, 2019
- Network
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Netflix
- Showrunner
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Lauren Schmidt Hissrich
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Anya Chalotra
Yennefer of Vengerberg
