Predicting Magic: The Gathering’s Universes Beyond Sets for…

Wizards of the Coast might have a few secrets kept close about next year's sets, but Magic: The Gathering fans have plenty to look forward to in 2026 already. Even though it got delayed, players have Lorwyn Eclipsed to look forward to kicking off the year, with Strixhaven and a third set codenamed "Ziplining" to follow. The collaborative Universes Beyond sets will keep fans busy in between the in-universe Magic: The Gathering sets, filling out the year to the brim as the "Metronome" saga of the game's lore comes to a close.

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Out of the known releases for 2026, Lorwyn Eclipsed and Secrets of Strixhaven are the only two that have any information attached aside from codenames. As far as MTG's Universes Beyond sets go, though, there's no news whatsoever as to what's next currently. Without a doubt, there are far more crossovers and collaborations in MTG's future, be it through Secret Lair or something bigger. In the space left behind in Magic's future lineup, there's plenty of room for fans to speculate and dream about what crossovers they'd like to see hit the game next. Recent trends both within Magic: The Gathering itself and in general might give clues as to what's next. Out of the endless possibilities, it seems like Star Wars, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and more Marvel superheroes might be on the way in 2026.

Magic: The Gathering Could Add the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Darth Vader, and More Marvel Characters to Its Line Up in 2026

Magic: The Gathering's Edge of Eternities is a Great Set-Up for a Galaxy Far, Far Away

The reach Magic: The Gathering has as one of the most famous card games gives it the incredible opportunity to work with brands and franchises across pop culture. While this has been a point of contention for a lot of players, it's hard to argue just how amazing it is that Lord of the Rings, Doctor Who, and even Monty Python and the Holy Grail fans can enjoy a deck featuring The One Ring's Firey Inscription, The Master's Sound of Drums, and The Bridge of Death with plenty of Magic: The Gathering staples to back them up. Generally, most of MTG's crossovers have remained rather close to the card game's fantasy theme, but Edge of Eternities may have changed that.

Previous sets like Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty have danced along the edges of science fiction and fantasy while still remaining a bit more fantastical overall, but Edge of Eternities practically rips the band-aid off. Special cards with futuristic fonts and layouts, Spacecraft subtypes, ship crew cards practically taken out of Star Trek, and the Station mechanic almost encourage future sets to dive deeper into what EoE sets up. It seems like the perfect entrance to Star Wars to enter Magic: The Gathering, and it would fit just as perfectly as Lord of the Rings did.

After the Stars, Magic: The Gathering Might Head Below With the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Magic: The Gathering welcomed SpongeBob SquarePants into Secret Lair earlier this year. Avatar: The Last Airbender isn't far behind, either, launching a full set on November 21. Both franchises have a product the Magic: The Gathering crossover is set to promote; SpongeBob with Titans of the Tide and Avatar with its Legend of Aang movie that's been delayed until 2026. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Mutant Mayhem has a sequel in development, and Paramount seems to want to capitalize on all three properties by having them be cross-promoted in things like Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds. It would make sense if WOTC and Paramount did the same for many reasons.

The turtles are ready for the final battle - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Mutant Mayhem

Keen-eyed players took note of a very interesting subtype combination that appeared in Jumpstart Foundations. Taeko, the Patient Avalanche, is a "Turtle Ninja," complete with a similar mask to the one the TMNT wear. Since the card appeared, fans had been wondering if the introduction of a card that has both Turtle and Ninja as its subtypes would lead to anything more down the line. After all, compared to The Lord of the Rings and Cowboy Bebop, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles would fit right in and bring plenty of nostalgia for even the most veteran MTG players. The only real question is whether TMNT justifies a full-fledged set, as it may be more suited for a smaller, mechanically unique Secret Lair drop with one or two themed reprint sets on the side.

A full Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universes Beyond set could combine approaches from the Doctor Who and Spider-Man sets to represent different iterations of the turtles, their friends, and their foes. This is only possible if Wizards of the Coast is allowed to use it as source material with Paramount's approval.

The Infinity Stones All But Confirm a Marvel Magic: The Gathering Set For 2026

Like Avatar: The Last Airbender, Spider-Man has his own Universes Beyond set that takes advantage of the Into the Spiderverse movies and comics to focus on many different Spider-People. The idea that anyone can be Spider-Man is translated into MTG's double-sided transforming cards, reflecting the concept of secret identities in a spectacular fashion. It goes to show just how large Spider-Man's worldbuilding and storylines are when an entire Universes Beyond set can be made focusing on its characters with only one overall Marvel Easter egg: The Soul Stone.

It does seem that the Infinity Stones are coming to Magic: The Gathering. Out of all the UB set reveals, the Soul Stone being part of the Spider-Man set may be the most tense announcement, as players aren't sure where the Stone's inclusion is going. Fans aren't sure if it means that there will be a certain number of sets to lead up to one with Thanos and the Infinity Gauntlet itself, or if it means that there will be exactly six sets with one Stone found in each of them. The idea of six Marvel sets has already made a number of players blanch, but the only thing that the Soul Stone confirms right now is that at least one more set is in Magic: The Gathering's pipeline. Hopefully for fans of Avengers: Endgame, an Avengers set will be the one to mark the end of whatever long-haul MTG and Marvel's crossover will last for.

Without proper news to go off of from Wizards of the Coast, everything here is purely speculation, especially since Magic: The Gathering has a habit of being full of surprises. Even if these sets come to pass, this would mean an entire year of Universes Beyond sets deal with two companies in particular: Paramount and Disney. Star Wars, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Marvel may be different and exciting enough on their own, but to some, they may lead to a strong sense of brand fatigue. At the very least, the Secret Lairs would most certainly belong to other collaborations if this situation were to ever happen . Magic: The Gathering fans should stay tuned to the official channels for the reveal of the next UB sets, but for now, the hype around the return to Lorwyn and Strixhaven is likely going to stay strong for a while.