Aragorn “goes modern” is now black in Magic: the Gathering

Wizards of the Coast, the team responsible for Magic the Gathering, is facing a new controversy with The Lord of the Rings. Although the collaboration to include Tolkien’s world in the popular card game was announced a few weeks ago, the publication of new images of Aragorn on social networks has generated outrage over the excesses of freedom in the adaptation of JRR Tolkien’s work.

In 2022, the publisher announced plans for a crossover between the card game and the British author’s masterpiece. A viral art was published showing a black aragorn, breaking with the classic presentation of the character that we all know. Now, while promoting the expansion called “The Lord of the Rings: Tales from Middle-earth“, several users have expressed their disapproval, some more forcefully than others.

Magic the Gathering has already addressed the potential backlash by offering an explanation on its website. They defend their decision to change the appearance of the characters by saying that great works of art like The Lord of the Rings can only be made better by multiple interpretations of their world. They believe their interpretation will please many fans of both Magic and JRR Tolkien. They made a conscious decision to collaborate with MEE and based their decision on two basic principles: diversity and originality. They wanted to reflect the inclusivity of the different peoples of Middle-earth and “modernize” Tolkien’s work for a growing community of fans.

“And Aragorn gave it a new name and called it Andúril, Flame of the West.” pic.twitter.com/zi1JQBCHjb

—Magic: The Gathering (@wizards_magic) May 28, 2023