NYCC ’26: Marvel’s Darkhold comes to Magic: The Gathering

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So, during all the happenings at NYCC, I was able to meet with the Magic: The Gathering team to hear about their new Marvel set. Before that, since they learned I don’t know how to play the game, they first taught me how to play Magic with the new Star Trek set that comes out this November. Being new to MTG, some of the more recent sets that are in the Universes Beyond realm have caught my eye since they are familiar to me. Even if they don’t fit the Venn diagram of fantasy or magic, like, say, Star Trek, I bet others who haven’t tried the game are more willing to jump in. 

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I played with a Black Deck, and that was focused on the Borg-based cards. As a complete novice, it was pretty easy to pick up the very basics. For Star Trek cards, the Black cards and the White deck I was facing had a ton of references to the smallest of Trek canon details across the many shows and movies. I’m not a Trek book guy, so I might’ve been missing those. I was delighted to see how characters, events, and tropes are represented in the set. I might not become a player, but I for sure will buy some of these cards. They gave a welcome deck of each color, and it’s just full of Trek all throughout.

After letting me, they got to the main attraction, and they showed me the trailer for the Marvel: Darkhold Destiny set. Instantly, you can see this is a set that feels perfect for MTG and should bring some of the detractors of the crossovers, as it focuses on Doctor Strange, Scarlett Witch, Thor, and Asgard parts of the Marvel Universe. A magic-focused Marvel Magic: The Gathering set. I was clocking frost giants, the Darkhold, a card that looks to have Satana on it, and they had my interest piqued.

What they wanted to focus on is that this is the first set that they collaborated with Marvel to make an original story and setting. The MTG folks were very excited about having the ability to stretch their storytelling wings with the Marvel Universe. Getting to work with their huge roster of illustrators to make art that has more of a classic Magic: The Gathering feel with the magical realm of Marvel Heroes and Villains. And also bring in some great Marvel comic book artists to play in this space as well.

The art I was shown looked fantastic, and it looks like the illustrators are having a ball working with these characters and illustrating these worlds, artifacts, and spells. They have a Gargantos (f.k.a. Shuma Gorath) card, so I’m happy, and I might try to get that one for sure. They have a lot of other stuff planned as well. Check out what was in the announcement press release and a preview of some of the cards in the gallery below.

ANNOUNCING MAGIC: THE GATHERING | MARVEL: DARKHOLD DESTINY

The mystical, the mythical, and the mighty come together in Magic: The Gathering| Marvel: Darkhold Destiny.For the first time ever, the teams at Marvel and Magic collaborated to create a brand-new storyline set in the Marvel Universe. This is a new kind of Universes Beyond set. By taking the core elements players love about Magic: The Gathering, the team thoughtfully and strategically expressed those design intentions through the Marvel Universe. The narrative unfolds across nearly 30 dimensions and is centered around four main characters—Doctor Strange, Thor, Hela, and Dormammu. Additionally, a new comic book will be released that showcases this groundbreaking new story. The comic’s first chapter releases digitally and the physical edition releases the week of Darkhold Destiny’s launch, on April 7, 2027.

ANNOUNCING SECRET LAIR COUNTDOWN KIT: MARVEL’S HISTORY OF HEROES

Celebrate some of the greatest heroes of all time with the Secret LairCountdown Kit: Marvel’s History of Heroes—a collection of 30 cards that bring the storied past of Marvel to life—available only on Secret Lair starting November 2.

The release features illustrations crafted by over 30 artists celebrating iconic moments from Marvel’s comic history—from the transformation of the Fantastic Four in spacesen, to Jean Grey’s transformation into the fiery Phoenix

The special limited quantity Secret LairCountdown Kit:Marvel’s History of Heroes goes on sale November 2, 2026, at 9 a.m. PT for $199.99.

Fans also got a sneak peek at the upcoming Doomsdrop. Each drop, inspired by the comics, will predominantly feature Doctor Doom, although fans should expect other special guests from the Marvel Universe.

ANNOUNCING LIMITED MARVEL DOOMSDAY CARD REGAL CINEMAS GIVEAWAY

See Avengers: Doomsday opening weekend in Infinity Vision and receive a Dr DoomMagic: The GatheringCard, exclusively at Regal Cinemas.

Tickets available now at REGmovies.com/Avengers-Doomsday

For more details on all the above announcements, visit DailyMTG.

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Stay tuned to The Beat for more news from NYCC ’26.