Why the X-Men, Guardians and Ghost Rider are missing from Magic's Marvel set

Magic: The Gathering's Marvel Super Heroes set, which contains more than 600 mechanically unique cards, leaves a surprising number of fan favorites off the table. With the full reveal out, questions center on why characters like the X‑Men, Guardians of the Galaxy and Ghost Rider are absent.

That absence appears intentional. Since Hasbro first announced an ongoing collaboration between Marvel and Magic: The Gathering in October 2023, the companies have described a multi-year partnership of several sets. "We realized that this was such a huge IP that we wanted to do more than one set," Magic head designer Mark Rosewater said, and the Spider-Man and Marvel Super Heroes releases are being treated as parts of a larger plan.

The current set emphasizes "Earth-based Marvel heroes and villains," with a core focus on Avengers and associated characters.

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