If you have been playing—or actively avoiding—Magic: The Gathering over the past few years, you have probably noticed that Universes Beyond is here to stay.
Everyone has their own opinion about these crossover sets, and none of those opinions are necessarily wrong. The criticisms are valid, just as someone loving the opportunity to play with their favorite characters is completely valid. I also think even the biggest Universes Beyond hater could be swayed by the right property, but that is just my opinion.
With Universes Beyond becoming an inevitable part of Magic's future, I think we're reaching a point where we can't simply say, "I just want Magic sets." Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see more original Magic worlds and stories, but Universes Beyond isn't going anywhere. So instead of constantly wishing these crossovers away, I think we should start asking ourselves, "What IPs would I actually be happy to see in Magic?" And that's exactly what I've done here.
I also think the timing of this article couldn't be better, considering MagicCon: Atlanta kicks off today! With the final MagicCon of 2026 taking place this weekend, there's a good chance we'll learn more about Magic's upcoming releases, and I'm hoping we'll finally get a look at the remaining unannounced Universes Beyond sets for 2027. So before Wizards potentially reveals what's coming next, I figured I'd throw a few of my own dream collaborations into the mix.
Whether you love it or hate it, Universes Beyond has become an important part of Magic. With that in mind, here are several franchises I believe would translate extremely well into the game or that I would simply love to see receive their own sets.
How to Train Your Dragon
I have been asking for a How to Train Your Dragon set for years. I have even thrown the idea out while speaking with members of the Wizards of the Coast team. Out of every property on this list, this might be the one that would translate most naturally into Magic.
The set would not need to consist entirely of enormous flying Dragons. There are plenty of named human characters and iconic Dragons to become legendary creatures, but there are also enough ordinary Vikings, lesser-known riders, and lesser Dragon species to support a healthy Limited environment without making every creature legendary.
The Dragons would obviously be the stars of the set. Nearly every species comes with its own lore, personality, abilities, and limitations, giving the designers plenty of material to transform into flavorful mechanics.
Take the Gronckle, for example. I could imagine it as a four-mana 2/4 for {2}{R}{G} with:
This creature has flying as long as it’s your turn.
This creature enters with six charge counters on it.
{2}, Remove a charge counter from this creature: It deals damage equal to its power to target creature.
The Gruul color identity represents the Gronckle’s strength and explosive attacks. Only having flying during your turn reflects how these lazy Dragons would often rather sleep on the ground than stay in the air. The six charge counters reference the Gronckle’s limit of six lava blasts before it needs time to recharge.
That is only one example. The franchise is filled with creatures and characters whose most memorable traits could easily become abilities or full mechanics. Wizards could even create “Dragonship,” a new Horsemanship-style mechanic that only interacts with other creatures with Dragonship.
Please do not actually do that, I’m only joking.
A How to Train Your Dragon set would also be the perfect opportunity to introduce a new five-color Dragon commander capable of competing with Tiamat and The Ur-Dragon. Between the riders, Dragon tribes, Viking equipment, locations, and major moments from the franchise, this feels like a set that would be difficult to mess up.
Designing a set of four Commander precons might be a little more challenging, but I could definitely see some fun possibilities. A Dragon Riders deck focused on the bond between Vikings and their Dragons seems like an obvious choice, while Stoick the Vast could lead a Viking Warrior deck. Gobber the Belch could even headline an Equipment-focused precon, with Grimmel or Drago leading a villain-themed deck. However, as much as I'd love to see those, I think a weird Trader deck based on Johann and his trickery could be even more entertaining. Imagine a Commander deck built entirely around making deals, exchanging resources, and manipulating your opponents. It might be a little unconventional, but that's exactly the kind of creativity I'd love to see from Universes Beyond.
Mortal Kombat
Magic is already about throwing attacks, summoning creatures, and launching fireballs at your opponent’s face. What better franchise to showcase that than one built entirely around hitting people as hard as possible?
Admittedly, this choice is heavily influenced by how much I love Mortal Kombat. I still return to Mortal Kombat 1 occasionally, and I have always enjoyed the insanity of its story and the ridiculous power of its characters.
The franchise would probably work best as a smaller release, although I believe there is enough material for a complete draftable set. Generic creatures such as “Shirai Ryu Warrior,” “Lin Kuei Fighter,” and “Outworld Soldier” could support the Limited environment, while iconic fighters like Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Liu Kang, Kitana, and Raiden could appear as legendary creatures.
Sagas could depict tournament endings and major events from across the timeline. Sieges would be a natural fit for the franchise’s battles between realms, while signature attacks and Fatalities could become instants, sorceries, Auras, and Equipment.
For example, “Get Over Here!” could be a three-mana red instant for {2}{R} with:
Tap target creature and put a stun counter on it. Gain control of that creature for as long as it remains tapped.
The card would recreate Scorpion’s iconic spear by pulling an opposing creature to your side of the battlefield and leaving it vulnerable long enough for you to attack its owner.
There are countless other recognizable attacks that could receive similar treatments. Sub-Zero could freeze creatures with stun counters, Johnny Cage could care about being the target of spells, and Shang Tsung could copy opposing creatures. Fatalities could even become expensive removal spells with additional rewards for destroying an already-damaged creature.
More than almost any other fighting game, Mortal Kombat has the characters, factions, locations, weapons, and wonderfully absurd lore needed to support an entire Universes Beyond release.
When it comes to a set of four Commander precons, Mortal Kombat might actually be easier to work with than How to Train Your Dragon, at least thematically. You could have one deck for Earthrealm, one for Outworld, one for Netherrealm, and one for Edenia. The challenge wouldn't be finding themes for each deck, but rather making sure they all feel mechanically different from one another.
Earthrealm could be a go-wide Warrior deck led by Raiden, featuring iconic fighters like Sonya Blade, Jax, and Johnny Cage, with Liu Kang serving as the backup commander. Outworld could take a completely different approach with an Aura-based Voltron deck led by Shao Kahn, representing his relentless pursuit of power and desire to rule over everything. Netherrealm could lean into a Ninja-themed deck, although admittedly, Scorpion is really the only traditional ninja associated with the realm, so that might require a little creative freedom. Finally, Edenia could be a spellslinger deck focused on prosperity and protecting its people, using spells to support your board and overwhelm opponents through value rather than brute force.
I think the potential is definitely there, and with how distinct the realms are from one another, Wizards could create four incredibly flavorful Commander decks. The real challenge would be making each one feel unique enough to justify playing them all.
Gears of War
Possible spoilers ahead for the original Gears of War trilogy.
Gears of War is one of my favorite video game franchises of all time and features some of the most enjoyable campaigns I have ever played. It has memorable heroes and villains, a fantastic story, recognizable equipment, and enough generic soldiers and Locust creatures to support a full Limited environment.
After seeing what Wizards accomplished with Warhammer 40k, it’s easy to imagine Gears of War fitting into Magic.
COG soldiers and the different Locust species could fill out the set’s common and uncommon slots. Characters like General RAAM and Sergeant Marcus Fenix would make excellent legendary creatures and potential commanders. The franchise could also support a significant Equipment theme featuring the Lancer, Gnasher, Torque Bow, Hammerburst, and other recognizable weapons.
The Hammer of Dawn could even become a devastating artifact or Spacecraft capable of dealing massive amounts of damage once properly crewed or charged.
Most importantly, the game’s memorable character moments could inspire some incredibly flavorful designs. The Carmine family is the perfect example.
Anthony Carmine could have:
It Keeps Jamming — At the beginning of your end step, flip a coin. If heads, sacrifice this creature. If tails, put a +1/+1 counter on it.
When this creature dies, you may search your library for a card named Benjamin Carmine, reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle.
In the first game, Anthony famously complains that his weapon keeps jamming before meeting his sudden and traumatic end. The coin flip would capture how quickly everything can go wrong for him while allowing Benjamin to take his place.
Benjamin Carmine could have flying alongside:
When this creature becomes blocked by a creature with reach, sacrifice it.
When this creature dies, you may search your library for a card named Clayton Carmine, reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle.
Benjamin falls from a King Raven after it is attacked during the Riftworm sequence in Gears of War 2, making the interaction between flying and reach a dark but mechanically flavorful callback.
Finally, Clayton Carmine could have:
Undying
Locust creatures your opponents control get -1/-1.
Clayton’s undying ability would represent the fake-out surrounding his fate in Gears of War 3. After watching two Carmine brothers die in the previous games, players are led to believe Clayton has suffered the same fate only for him to emerge alive.
The Locust ability would represent his hatred of the Locust as the Grub Killer.
When it comes to Commander precons, I think Gears of War would actually work best with just two decks. The first is an obvious choice: an Equipment-focused Soldier deck based on the COG, led by Marcus Fenix. This deck could focus on arming your soldiers with iconic weapons, rewarding you for attacking, and keeping your squad alive. The second would be a self-mill Locust deck led by Queen Myrrah, focusing on filling your graveyard, bringing back fallen Locust, and overwhelming your opponents with an endless army of monsters.
However, if Wizards absolutely needed four precons, there are a couple of other directions they could take. The Lambent could make for an explosive Deathtouch deck, turning your creatures into walking bombs that punish opponents for blocking or destroying them. Then there's the possibility of an artifact creature deck based on the DeeBees, or perhaps a Vehicle-focused deck led by Dizzy Wallin and his crew, featuring everything from Armadillos and Centaurs to King Ravens.
Personally, I think two Commander decks would be the sweet spot for Gears of War, but there's definitely enough material to get creative with four. And considering how much I love this franchise, I'd probably end up building all four anyway.
Between its factions, monsters, weapons, vehicles, and story, Gears of War could become a legitimately strong Universes Beyond set. Although, I will admit that my love for the series may be doing some of the convincing here.
Honorable Mention: 007
I could continue listing franchises that might work in Magic for far too long, but this article needs to end eventually so I have one last IP that I think is debatable whether it would work or not but I would be interested.
After playing 007 First Light, I started thinking about how much fun a spy-focused Universes Beyond set could be. A friend and I even began throwing around ideas for potential mechanics and draft archetypes.
Different archetypes could represent the various eras or interpretations of James Bond. Suspect would be an obvious returning mechanic, while Espionage could potentially inspire something entirely new. The set could also introduce Spy as a supported creature type alongside plenty of Villains, henchmen, gadgets, elaborate traps, and luxurious Vehicles.
The biggest challenge would be filling out a complete Limited environment when so much of the franchise revolves around Bond himself. Still, the decades of movies provide enough villains, allies, locations, gadgets, and action sequences to support at least a smaller release.
If a full set is not realistic, a Secret Lair featuring several versions of Bond alongside iconic villains and gadgets feels like an easy win.
Final Thoughts
Not every popular franchise needs its own Universes Beyond set, and some properties are clearly better suited for Secret Lair drops or smaller supplemental releases. However, the best crossovers are the ones that can translate a property's characters, world, and most memorable moments into mechanics that still feel like Magic.
How to Train Your Dragon, Mortal Kombat, and Gears of War all have deep rosters, distinct factions, recognizable items, and enough unnamed characters or creatures to support full sets. Meanwhile, 007 could still inspire an entertaining smaller release.
Universes Beyond will always be divisive, and I don't think there's anything wrong with wanting Magic to focus on its own worlds. But if these crossovers are going to continue happening, I'd rather spend my time thinking about the franchises I'd be genuinely excited to see than constantly complaining about the ones I don't want.
With MagicCon: Atlanta taking place this weekend and potentially bringing some exciting new Universes Beyond announcements, I'm curious to see whether any of the upcoming collaborations will surprise us. Who knows, maybe one of these franchises will eventually make the cut.
Until then, these are the Universes Beyond collaborations I'd love to see. But what about you? If you could choose any franchise to receive its own Magic: The Gathering set, what would it be?
Speaking of Universes Beyond, Magic's latest crossover with Star Trek is finally here! If you're looking to take your favorite characters into Commander, check out our Best Star Trek Commanders guide for some inspiration. Or, if you're planning to head to your local game store for a draft, be sure to check out our Star Trek Draft Guide, where we break down all ten draft archetypes, the best removal spells, and everything you need to know to build a winning deck!
