Trading card manufacturer Upper Deck has inked a new multi-year deal with Warner Bros. Discovery to add IPs from the DC comics universe to its licensing portfolio.
Targeting kids and adult collectors, the California-based company will produce and distribute trading cards, tabletop games and collectibles inspired by iconic superheroes and villains such as Batman, Wonder Woman, Superman and the Joker. And to commemorate the deal and start to build hype in the marketplace for its upcoming products, Upper Deck is releasing an exclusive Superman preview card today on its e-Pack digital collectibles platform.
Physical products will begin to drop later this year as Upper Deck introduces DC’s heroes to several of its long-running trading card brands with new SKUs for DC Annual, Skybox Metal Universe, Fleer Ultra, Unbound and Masterpieces. The DC collections are set to roll out in specialty hobby shops and mass retailers worldwide starting this winter.
Upper Deck’s director of entertainment brands, Travis Rhea, says that the company has wanted to get its hands on the DC brand portfolio for years because of its massive fandom with kids and passionate community of collectors. He notes that the right opportunity finally presented itself when James Gunn and Peter Safran took over the creative direction of DC Studios in 2022, opening the door for Upper Deck to be part of a new era of entertainment and consumer products business.
The company is no stranger to working with superhero IPs in the trading card and board game categories. Upper Deck has held the license to produce Marvel collectibles for upwards of 10 years, and some of its more notable releases include board game Marvel Legendary, the VS System card game, and trading card collections for Spider-Man: No Way Home and Loki. In addition to its superhero licenses, Upper Deck also produces trading cards for Neopets, All Elite Wrestling, Overwatch and the NHL.