Magic: The Gathering Brings Spider-Man Into Standard Play

• Posted: August 13, 2025, 2:23 pm
• in Sports Card News
• by bionic

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For the first time, one of Marvel’s most iconic superheroes is stepping directly into Magic: The Gathering’s main stage. Magic: The Gathering Marvel’s Spider-Man launches on September 26, 2025, and it is not just a collectible crossover. This release is a full Standard-legal set, designed for drafting, prerelease events, and competitive play from the start.

A new era for Universes Beyond​

Magic’s Universes Beyond line began cautiously in 2020 with The Walking Dead Secret Lair. That product sparked heated debates but also showed the potential for crossover sets. Since then, Universes Beyond has grown into a major part of Magic’s release calendar, with The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth proving just how much mainstream attention the game could attract.

The challenge with earlier releases was that they often landed outside of Standard, leaving new players drawn in by those brands without a simple way to continue in Magic’s most active format. Wizards of the Coast has adjusted course. Starting in 2025, headline Universes Beyond sets like Spider-Man will be built specifically for Standard, easing the transition for newcomers and reinforcing the format as Magic’s central experience.

Products designed for every audience​

The Spider-Man set arrives with a full slate of products. Play Boosters serve both drafting and casual opening, while Collector Boosters deliver premium foil treatments and rare variants. Bundles and Gift Bundles include a mix of packs, promo cards, and exclusive full-art lands with web-inspired artwork.

Prerelease begins September 19, giving players their first chance to explore the mechanics and cards. Instead of Commander decks, which usually accompany a new set, Wizards is rolling out Welcome Decks. These are streamlined 60-card builds meant to lower the barrier of entry for brand-new players. On the other side of the spectrum, collectors will find high-end offerings like the Scene Box, which features six foil borderless cards that combine to form one continuous image.

Mechanics inspired by superheroes​

New mechanics in the set reflect Spider-Man’s world. Web-slinging is an alternate casting cost that lets you return a tapped creature to your hand to pay for a spell. It recalls the flavor of Ninjutsu but works in a broader range of scenarios.

Mayhem allows players to cast a card later in the turn if it was discarded, functioning as a streamlined take on Madness. Many of the set’s heroes also appear as Modal Double-Faced Cards, allowing players to choose between their civilian identity or their more powerful superhero side.

A universe of heroes and villains​

The set dives deep into the Spider-Verse. Headliners include Peter Parker, Miles Morales, and Gwen Stacy, all as double-faced cards. The lineup expands further with characters like Spider-Punk and Spider-Ham, capturing both the serious and the lighthearted sides of Marvel’s web-slinging multiverse.

The villain roster is equally rich, with multiple versions of Green Goblin and Doctor Octopus joining the fight, along with Venom, Carnage, and other symbiote threats. Each design has been built from the top down to capture the essence of the character’s personality and powers.

Collector highlights​

The premier chase card in the set is The Soul Stone, the first Infinity Stone to appear in Magic. An ultra-rare, textless Cosmic Foil edition is found only in Collector Boosters. Alongside it are several specialty treatments, including Borderless Panel Cards styled after comic art, Borderless Iconic Cover Cards inspired by classic Marvel covers, and Web-slinger frames unique to the set. The basic lands feature full-art spiderweb designs that add to the theme.

What comes next​

The set’s teasers have fueled speculation about whether the Sinister Six will appear in full. With The Soul Stone introduced here, it seems clear that Wizards and Marvel are laying the groundwork for more Universes Beyond projects, possibly sets featuring the Avengers or the X-Men in future years.

Spider-Man is not just another Magic release. It is part of a broader strategy to welcome new players while still giving veteran fans something rich to explore. By putting the set directly into Standard, Wizards is making sure this crossover is more than a novelty. It is a core part of the game’s future.