Maya Hawke Reportedly Cast In MTG Movie, And Fans Are Sure They Know Who She's Playing

Maya Hawke Has Been Cast In The Magic: The Gathering Movie Published Nov 4, 2026, 5:42 PM EST Niall (pronounced Ny-ul) is a UK-based writer who has been writing about Magic: The Gathering throughout his entire career, with everything from new set breakdowns and individual deck guides to offering his opinions on the state of formats and the general direction of the iconic TCG. Niall also has a rich history covering triple-A releases, sports games, and PC hardware. Magic: The Gathering might have just found its Chandra Nalaar, as Maya Hawke has reportedly been cast in the upcoming film, directed by Matt Johnson. This report comes via Deadline, which says it has sources who confirmed the casting but not the specific role. However, Magic fans believe there can be only one choice for Hawke, whose most recent role is in The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping. This is admittedly a huge name to attach to the project, and while it should come as no surprise given how stacked the Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves cast was, some believed this project would be scaled back in comparison because of its box office struggles. As far as statement castings go, if this report is accurate, recruitment for the Magic movie is off to a great start. Maya Hawke Brings Instant A-List Feel To The MTG Movie Credibility will be huge for the Magic: The Gathering film, and this reported casting of Maya Hawke brings it in spades. Fresh off the huge success of Stranger Things and being part of The Hunger Games franchise, director Matt Johnson couldn't have found a much bigger star right now to have attached to the project. Deadline says the film is expected to have an "ensemble feel," which also helped the D&D movie's wider appeal, rather than relying on one major name and then casting relative unknowns around them. This report also states that Maya Hawke was offered the role outright without needing to go through an audition process, which suggests that she is a name that the team behind the film had in mind before the audition process started. Fans strongly believe that Hawke will portray the iconic pyromancer Chandra Nalaar, a character with strikingly similar facial features to Maya Hawke, as well as similar hair color. It's easy to see why fans have made this connection so quickly, but until there is official confirmation of the casting and role, everything is purely speculative. Ultimately, this casting sets a high bar for the film from the get-go, and while Matt Johnson has said he is a massive Magic: The Gathering fan, writing and directing a movie based on a property with such a ferocious fanbase has to be intimidating. There will no doubt be countless rounds of fantasy casting now that an actor is finally attached to the project, and fans will also start speculating about the film, because there are so many routes it could take given the 30+ years of lore to draw from. Realistically, we'd like to see a true origins film that explores the multiverse at a very introductory level, with an exciting story layered on top that introduces us to some of our favorite Planeswalkers in ways we've never seen before. This casting news has us excited, and hopefully we won't have to wait long for more news on actors attached to the project. Franchise Magic: The Gathering Original Release Date August 5, 1993 Publisher Wizards of the Coast Designer(s) Richard Garfield