Last updated on June 28, 2026
Black Lotus | Illustration by Steven Belledin
It can be easy to forget the cultural impact Magic: the Gathering has had as one of the longest-running trading card games, but it’s a big part of many lives. Inevitably, some of those people are creative, and references to Magic creep into media from time to time. These can be subtle or rather on the nose, as happened recently with the Netflix movie Voicemails For Isabella, a rom-com which had a character not only name-drop Magic, but a specific card:
Source: netflix.com
The card crops up in the context of the movie’s couple, Jill (Zoey Deutch) and Wes (Nick Robinson), opening up to each other about their pasts. Wes reveals he collects Magic as though it is a great shame, which is rather in line with what happens later in the movie, when the card itself appears:
Source: netflix.com
Wes is trading the Lotus—the most valuable thing he owns, as he says—to a colleague to help recover the titular voicemails for Isabella, Jill’s deceased sister. Of course, Andy’s response is to snort and ask if Wes thinks he’s a loser who cares about Magic…I didn’t say the reference was good, did I? They even get the vocab wrong when Wes describes it as “an Alpha Edition Black Lotus” rather than just an Alpha Lotus. But, let’s back up and consider that line about the Lotus being the most valuable thing Wes owns, because that’s not as obscene as it seems.
How Valuable Is Black Lotus?
Insatiable Avarice | Illustration by Scott Murphy
Black Lotus has enjoyed a long history as Magic’s most valuable card. Sure, there was a rocky period when the 1/1 The One Ring usurped it as it was reportedly sold to Post Malone for more than $2 million dollars, but all was made well in 2024 when a graded 10 Lotus sold for $3 million.
But let’s be a little more realistic and look for the lower end of things. One of the cheapest graded Lotuses I could find was this choice card from Ebay:
Source: ebay.com
Of course, cheapest is relative as this is still going for $12,000. But you can find prices at many different points. Ancestral MTG has a $52,500 option, Journey’s End Games has a medium play (ungraded) Lotus for $72,000. Ebay’s other listings can soar as high as $130,000, as seen on this listing:
Source: ebay.com
If any card would get name dropped, it’s not surprising that Black Lotus would be the card of choice. But this is far from the only Magic reference in pop culture—some of them even make the game look good!
Other Magic References in Pop Culture
Pearl Lake Ancient | Illustration by Richard Wright
Magic cameos in other media are brief glimpses, catch-and-you-miss-it shots in the background. For example, an Invasion poster pops up in the background of Sam Raimi’s first Spider-Man film:
Source:: Spider-Man
The cartoon The Venture Bros. has a similar throw-away line when two characters arrive at a party, one one explains they told the other it was a costume party because they wouldn’t come when told it was a “Magic Gathering,” to which his companion complained he had never gotten the hang of card games.
Of course, not every reference is that subtle. The anime Watamote, also called It’s Not My Fault That I’m Not Popular! contains several shots of people playing Magic. These are so detailed you can tell what the cards are! These two images clearly show off Crypt Ghast, Grand Abolisher, and Avacyn's Pilgrim, as well as basic lands and card backs:
Of course, even a several-minute sequence has nothing on the mother of all references: South Park had an entire episode dedicated to Magic called “Cock Magic” that mashed together our beloved card game with underground cock fighting. It’s an excellent episode; one of the greatest parts is that they use mostly accurate terminology, including cards names like Pearl Lake Ancient and Punishing Fire, but mess up just enough of the rules to make you roll your eyes and laugh. Kenny was the star of the show, so much so he got an invite to Pro Tour Fate Reforged:
Though South Park lampoons the game, it’s too accurate to be anything but an act of love.
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2 Comments
I haven’t seen the movie, but going by that picture, I guess they used some sort of proxy as a movie prop. I can just about make out that the CGC label says Limited Edition (Alpha), but the card itself doesn’t have the characteristic Alpha corners, making it look more like a Beta Lotus. The colours are way more washed out than I have ever seen on a real Beta Lotus, although I guess that could be an effect of bright studio lighting.
Prop would make total sense for this, though I’d love if it was a real one!
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