The Magic: The Gathering movie may have found its director

Hasbro's proposed Magic: The Gathering cinematic universe seems to be ramping up toward actually entering a pre-production phase, with Deadline reporting that Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie director Matt Johnson is being eyed to helm the first film in what Hasbro and studio Lionsgate are hoping will shape up to be an entire line of movies and shows based on the venerable card game. No deal has yet been made.

Announced back in February, the Magic: The Gathering cinematic universe (for lack of a better term) is intended to encompass movies, streaming series, and "other content" that will all tie together as a fully-realized adaptation of the sweeping mythos of Magic, which has told numerous stories set in multiple realities across its 32 year history.

For those not familiar with the card game, Magic: The Gathering involves putting together a deck of hand-picked cards that represent the spells, creatures, artifacts, and more that populate the world of the story, and going head-to-head with opponents in fast-paced, high-skill duels. It's a bit like poker, where the luck of the draw and a player's ability to make connections and track the action are big factors in how play progresses. But unlike a traditional card game, each player has their own deck of cards stacked with effects that change the field of play on a moment's notice.

As someone who has played Magic off-and-on since the '90s, I'm very interested to see which characters and settings from the expansive game might make their way to the screen (I'm showing my age when I say I'm personally hoping for at least a glimpse of the Weatherlight Saga that took up a good chunk of the late '90s).

But I'm also all too wary about what it means when movie studios start talking about building a "universe" around their franchise. The Marvel-ization of of franchise media has been a serious double-edged sword, often leading to large swaths of movies and shows that are meant to carve out a narrative but which wind up feeling bloated and disconnected. Even Marvel is feeling the pinch, trying to get back to a version of the MCU that strongly connects with audiences. So I've got my reservations about the idea of starting from the concept of building a whole universe rather than just focusing on making a good movie.

Still, Matt Johnson is an interesting potential choice for directing a Magic: The Gathering Movie, as his film Nirvanna The Band The Movie The Show is an offbeat mockumentary about time travel rather than a sweeping fantasy epic or an action movie, which gives me Peter Jackson vibes - so color me hesitantly optimistic that Hasbro and Lionsgate have the best interests of Magic and its fans at heart.

While we wait to find out more, peruse our guide to all of the upcoming movies you should have on your radar.