Universes Beyond is the third rail for Magic: The Gathering players right now. For every person who loves it and finds joy in seeing some of their favorite characters from a variety of Intellectual Properties enter their favorite game (like me), you'll find another that feels like Magic has its own lore and doesn't need another IP (also me), or even those that think Universes Beyond could herald the end of the game (not me).

The plain truth is that whether you hate Universes Beyond, or you love it, it is here to stay for the foreseeable future. It has proven popular and profitable, so WOTC (or more importantly, Hasbro) has no reason to slow the train at this point.

Knowing that this is locked in, I thought I'd try to imagine some of the future Universes the game may choose to explore. I'm going to stay away from arguing about specific settings in partner IPs we have already visited (i.e. arguing about whether we need a Defender's set when we already have Marvel in the game), only new Universes Beyond we have yet to visit. Some of these might be better suited for Secret Lairs, but I could see us visiting all of these properties in the coming future (I picked a card from a current Universes Beyond set that I feel is a good analog to accompany each).

Dragon Ball

For many people in my age range, the people who've been playing Magic: The Gathering prior to the century, Dragon Ball Z was their introduction to anime (not counting Akira), and it still holds an important place in their hearts. "But could he beat Goku?" is still asked when the most powerful characters of all-time face off, and I'd love to see them represent one of fiction's mightiest characters on a card. While there are other anime/manga worlds many would love to see (One Piece, Naruto, Attack on Titan, and My Hero Academia to name a few), Dragon Ball Z would be a great addition.

Nintendo

Given that we've already dabbled in video game universes, and that Nintendo's previous President recently joined the Hasbro Board of Directors, it seems like this could be a logical next step. Does that mean we see Mario, Luigi, and Peach on our tabletops sometime soon? Maybe. But, given that there is a big screen adaptation arriving in 2027, and that the lore and art style melds better with Magic, I would expect we'd first dip our toe into the Nintendo IP by venturing into Hyrule with the Legend of Zelda.

Pokemon

For many players, this would be the holy grail. Pokemon was their introduction to CCGs and it has always held a special place in their hearts. It's also the biggest IP in the world at the moment, and a crossover between the two biggest card games just makes too much sense (and it would make too much $$$) to leave on the sidelines.

DC

Of all the Universes on this list, I feel like this one is the most obvious. Mark Rosewater has stated that they have a six-set collaboration with Marvel, but once that collaboration is done... well, it would then be time to bring in Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, and the entire DC cadre. Let's leave behind New York City and take a trip to Gotham, Smallville, and Arkham. I would argue that the heroes, and especially the villains, of DC are possibly even more iconic than those in Marvel, and would provide a treasure trove of characters for the game.

Real World

Who says that the Universes Beyond couldn't include or own? We've seen Wizards dabble in the real world characters and settings from time-to-time, but imagine an entire expansion set that highlights the history and fiction (that has passed into open licensing, or course) of our real world. Achilles, Gilgamesh, Caesar, Alexander the Great, Mozart, Pecos Bill... this could go a thousand ways and Magic would have a very vast pool of candidates to choose for this set. Who wouldn't want to summon a Grendel to rampage on the battlefield, use Sherlock Holmes to Investigate, or cast a "Charge of the Light Brigade"?

Star Wars

This is the big one. Star Wars may not be pumping out constant bangers right now (aside from Andor), but it still has the largest cultural footprint of any IP in the world. With incredibly deep world building, lore, and history, this is an IP we could dip back into multiple times. An initial set based on the originally trilogy would have the potential to draw in players from all age ranges and demographics. Luke Skywalker gazing at the twin suns of Tatooine has become one of the most iconic images in modern "folklore," and I'd love to see it depicted on a Magic card.

There are a hundred more Universes I could look at, many that I love more than the ones I've chosen here, but these are the ones that I think make the most sense for Magic. Universes Beyond are just beginning, and I'm sure we'll have time to pull these, and many others, into the game.

You can find more of my Magic musings on Twitter/X @travishall456 and on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/anakinsdad.bsky.social