Brandon Routh Cast As Lead in Netflix’s ‘Magic: The Gathering’ Series

By Abby Monteil
Published Aug. 24, 2021, 12:55 p.m. ET

Netflix’s upcoming series Magic: The Gathering has found its star. Superman Returns actor Brandon Routh will voice Gideon Jura in the animated fantasy epic, which will debut in 2022. Inspired by the card game franchise of the same name, Magic: The Gathering will center on the game’s Planeswalkers, a group of magic-wielding heroes and villains spread throughout a fantastical multiverse.

“For those of you who don’t know, Gideon is known for being the strong guy who always stands up for what’s right, just, and isn’t afraid to fight. Now I understand why they hired me for this,” Routh joked in a casting announcement video.

The actor is certainly no stranger to playing super-powered characters. Apart from his starring turn in Superman Returns, Routh is also known for playing Ray Palmer (aka The Atom) on The CW’s Arrow, a role he later reprised in other “Arrowverse” shows like The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow. He later appeared as Superman in the 2019 crossover event “Crisis on Infinite Earths.”

Apart from announcing Routh’s casting, Netflix unveiled sneak peeks at Gideon’s character design, as well as environmental art for iconic Magic: The Gathering locations Ravnica and Golgari.

Additionally, a prequel novel by Django Wexler is set to be released in conjunction with the series, following the complicated partnership of Gideon and fellow Planeswalker Jace Beleren.

Netflix’s Magic: The Gathering adaptation was first announced in 2019. Although Joe and Anthony Russo were originally attached to helm the series, they later amicably departed and tapped executive producer Jeff Kline to oversee production. The show’s animation will be done by Snowball Studios.

“I’m grateful to the Russos for bringing me into the world of Magic: The Gathering,” Kline said in a statement. “Magic is one of those rare intellectual properties with such a wellspring of mythology that ‘picking and choosing’ is half the battle. Every single person working on the series understands how beloved this universe is – and feels both the exhilaration and tremendous pressure that comes with translating Magic across mediums.”