Another debate has unfolded as Magic The Gathering‘s The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth set approaches its release. Fortunately, this argument has nothing to do with skin color, but rather a line from the book. Now we finally get to know who in the MTG and LOTR community has read the source material and who only saw the Peter Jackson adaptations.
A few Lord of the Rings and Magic the Gathering fans were upset that a card that featured Gandalf’s iconic line is named ‘differently.’ We might know the line as “You Shall Not Pass,” but on the card, it says “You Cannot Pass.” You may think that think this is a reference to another scene from the book but the art shows otherwise, since it showcased the moment Gandalf stayed behind in the Mines of Moria and faced the Balrog.
This line caused some debate about whether or not the iconic line was said in the books. We know in the film, Gandalf yells “You shall not pass,” and to be completely honest, I also thought that was the original line as well. But this upcoming trading card set is mostly a visual retelling of the books. Fortunately, Wizards of the Coast knew this was going to happen, so it got Frodo actor, Elijah Wood to come in and share once and for all what the line was in the books.
Unfortunately, the line that we know and love in the films isn’t what’s said in the books. Gandalf never said “you shall not pass” in the original text, hence why it wasn’t in the cards. But it is quite understandable why some fans and I might have thought otherwise since it’s one of the most recognizable lines in the franchise. Interestingly, in the Peter Jackson adaptation of Fellowship of the Ring, it was revealed that Gandalf says both.
This upcoming Lord of the Rings collab is truly outing those who read the books and those who only watched the films. And it makes sense considering that the books are pretty thick and detailed and people would rather watch a nearly 3-hour movie that retold the story of the book. While there are a few who suggested at least keeping “You Shall Not Pass” as the card’s flavor text, The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth is a retelling of the original text written by J.R.R. Tolkien. This means stuff that was made exclusively for the film will not be included.
Magic The Gathering: The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth is scheduled to come out on June 23, 2023.
