Star Trek: The Next Generation is easily one of the best series in the franchise. Its cast of characters was so enchanting, so multidimensional, and so often hilarious; its numerous emotional arcs, fantastic standalone episodes, and generally great production value push it to the upper echelons of the pantheon of great Star Trek media. Of course, it isn’t everyone’s favorite, and not to everyone’s taste, but at least in my humble opinion, it is a phenomenal show.
Naturally, being one of the best Star Trek series of all time, fans are always eager for it to return in some shape or form. We obviously got the Picard series, which saw the return of the legendary Patrick Stewart as the titular Captain Jean-Luc Picard, but that wasn’t quite enough. Fortunately, TNG is making a bold return in a brand-new crossover experience that fans are sure to love. While it isn’t quite as exciting as a whole new series, it should serve as a fun continuation of the series after all these years.
The Next Generation Is Getting A Brand-New Release
Star Trek: The Next Generation is, unsurprisingly, a rather large part of the upcoming Magic: The Gathering x Star Trek Universes Beyond crossover. For those who don’t already know, Universes Beyond is the umbrella term for out-of-universe sets in Magic: The Gathering that allows Wizards of the Coast to collaborate with other popular series. It has seen the likes of Warhammer 40,000, Doctor Who, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Marvel, Lord of the Rings, and more crossover into MTG. Star Trek is the next to join the burgeoning roster.
Of course, the Star Trek Universes Beyond set draws from every series, spin-off, and movie, with cards featuring characters, items, ships, and references from the beloved show. However, The Next Generation is undeniably getting special treatment, as it has far more unique cards and bundles within the set, likely on account of it being a fan favorite. There’s the Federation Fleet Commander deck, which features Jean-Luc Picard as its commander and has been described by Wizards of the Coast as being for fans of TNG.
There’s also the Enterprise-Q Scene Box (in which MTG cards make up an image when combined) that is obviously based on TNG. Numerous characters, including Picard, Data, and more, have also gotten Headliner chase cards, which are extremely limited on account of being signed by the original cast. Simply put, The Next Generation is featured heavily in the Universes Beyond set, and that really isn’t a bad thing. In fact, it feels like an obvious choice, one that will likely draw in a lot of newcomers to the set with accessible onboarding products like the aforementioned Commander deck.
Magic: The Gathering x Star Trek Is A Good Match
There has been a lot of discourse surrounding the Star Trek x Magic: The Gathering crossover, both due to the fact that its sci-fi setting doesn’t gel with MTG’s typically fantasy-based worlds, and that it is yet another UB set, something that has become increasingly frustrating for long-term fans. While I understand the frustration, one has to understand that sets like these, while undeniably detracting from in-universe sets and deeper worldbuilding, introduce newcomers to the game and hopefully get them to stay long-term.
As someone who was reintroduced to Magic through the Final Fantasy set, it’s hard to get annoyed at Wizards attempting to broaden their audience with a Star Trek one. So, while playing a Jean-Luc Picard card against Jace may feel a little weird, if it’s what gets more people invested in MTG, then that’s all that matters. So far, the cards Wizards have revealed have had great flavor and seem respectful to the source material, unlike the Spider-Man set. So, Star Trek: The Next Generation fans can rest easy knowing their favorite characters are not only present, but well represented.
- Release Date
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1987 – 1994-00-00
- Network
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Syndication
- Showrunner
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Gene Roddenberry
- Directors
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Cliff Bole, Les Landau, Winrich Kolbe, Rob Bowman, Robert Scheerer, Jonathan Frakes, Robert Wiemer, Gabrielle Beaumont, Alexander Singer, David Carson, Paul Lynch, Corey Allen, Patrick Stewart, Chip Chalmers, Joseph L. Scanlan, James L. Conway, Robert Lederman, Tom Benko, Timothy Bond, Robert Legato, Adam Nimoy, Robert Becker, David Livingston, LeVar Burton
- Writers
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René Echevarria, Maurice Hurley, Richard Manning, Melinda M. Snodgrass, Tracy Tormé, Hannah Louise Shearer, Stuart Charno, Ira Steven Behr, Sara B. Cooper, Peter Allan Fields, Herbert Wright, Frank Abatemarco, Burton Armus, Hilary Bader, Morgan Gendel, David Kemper, Michael I. Wagner, Philip LaZebnik, Robert McCullough, Susan Sackett, Nick Sagan, Fred Bronson, Robert Hewitt Wolfe, Sam Rolfe