Now You See Me’s 7 Main Magicians Ranked By Skill

The Now You See Me franchise first introduced audiences to the talented group of stage magicians-turned-thieves known as The Four Horsemen in 2013. Generating a healthy $351 million box office return against a budget of $75 million, the franchise would later spawn the 2016 sequel that would feature Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe and Masters of Sex‘s Lizzy Caplan alongside an already star-studded cast lineup that includes Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Morgan Freeman, and Michael Caine.

Now with the franchise’s third film, dubbed Now You See Me: Now You Don’t, set to arrive in theaters on Nov. 14, 2025, the Horsemen are preparing for yet another round of high-stakes magical hijinks. Featuring the return of Isla Fisher’s Henley Reeves, the original Four Horsemen will finally be reunited for the first time in over a decade. Yet for all their elaborate plans, sleight of hand, and illusion work, the bulk of the franchise’s appeal has resided in the characters’ constant attempts to impress or one-up their fellow magicians with their skill sets.

7

Jack Wilder

Played By Dave Franco

A deft hand with sleight of hand and card tricks, Jack Wilder starts the roster due to his status as the Horsemen’s designated rookie card. Despite his impressive proficiency with close-up magic, Dave Franco’s character had the least experience as a professional magician when he was first recruited to join the Horsemen, instead using his talents to aid him as a pickpocket and a small-time con artist on the streets of New York City.

Nonetheless, Jack’s ability to convincingly fake his death, combined with the astonishing combination of his card skills and physical combat, makes him a more than valuable addition to The Four Horsemen. By the end of Now You See Me 2, Jack has more than proven himself worthy of standing alongside his fellow magicians, and the far more wizened version of the character set to appear in Now You See Me: Now You Don’t is likely to have mastered many more skills since audiences last saw him.

6

Lula May

Played By Lizzy Caplan

Brought in to replace Henley for Now You See Me 2, escapologist and shock magician Lula May is known for her seemingly gruesome tricks that simulate injury or death. Despite the initial reservations shown by the original members of the Horsemen, she quickly earns her place on the team after being appointed by Mark Ruffalo’s Dylan Rhodes. However, like Jack, she is also something of a lower-ranking magician.

A natural performer and fearless improviser, Lizzy Caplan’s character helped to fill the gap left by Fisher’s absence due to her real-life pregnancy at the time of filming. Unfortunately, however, it has not been officially confirmed whether Caplan will be returning for Now You See Me: Now You Don’t, now that Henley is back with the team. Despite Caplan suggesting she was not approached to reprise her role for the third movie, many fans are still predicting that she could appear in a potential plot twist.

5

J. Daniel Atlas

Played By Jesse Eisenberg

Perhaps the most well-known member of the Horseman, J. Daniel Atlas was already a rising star in the world of stage magic and a seasoned illusionist before he joined his teammates. Acting as the self-styled leader of the Horsemen, Atlas’ ego and desire to be the center of attention can often clash with the needs of the wider group. Nonetheless, Atlas’ confidence in his abilities and his quick thinking make him a crucial part of the team, and his stage experience easily surpasses that of his peers.

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Spending the second film at odds with Dylan, much of Atlas’ character’s journey has been focused on the often-painful transition from a solo magician to an effective leader and team player. With Atlas finally beginning to embrace the mysterious aims of The Eye, it will be interesting to see how much his character has changed in the years that have passed since audiences last met him.

4

Henley Reeves

Played By Isla Fisher

Originally a stage assistant to Atlas, Henley Reeves quickly grew sick of being undermined by her former boss and struck out on her own. A specialist in escapology, much like her Now You See Me 2 replacement Lula, Henley’s skills and determination served her well as she crafted her own career outside of Atlas’ immense shadow.

Fearless and skilled in logistics and group execution, it is Henley’s ability to work effectively with others that puts her one step above that of Atlas. With her character now set to return in Now You See Me: Now You Don’t, after missing out on the franchise’s second film, her triumphant homecoming will likely serve as one of the new movie’s main highlights.

3

Merritt McKinney

Played By Woody Harrelson

Serving as The Four Horsemen’s veteran magician, the depth of Merrit McKinney’s experience is only surpassed by that of the group’s frequent critic, Thaddeus Bradley (Morgan Freeman). Despite having fallen on hard times before being recruited into the Horsemen, Woody Harrelson’s character once had his own thriving solo career as a mentalist and hypnotist, skills that have been honed to perfection over many years as a stage magician.

While Merrit may lack some of the more finely tuned illusion skills employed by his teammates, it is his shockingly dependable ability to detect lies and psychologically manipulate, coupled with the ease with which he can place a subject under hypnosis, that makes him one of the Horsemen’s most skilled members. It would seem that he has the most acute power with his sway over other people.

2

Thaddeus Bradley

Played By Morgan Freeman

While not a member of The Four Horsemen himself, Thaddeus Bradley comes close to the coveted title of the series’ most skilled character, thanks to a long career as both a magician and later an entertainer who has taken to exposing the secrets of others in the profession. While Morgan Freeman’s character is ostensibly outsmarted by the collective efforts of the Horsemen in the franchise’s first movie, it is revealed in Now You See Me 2 that his character was the secret member of The Eye all along.

In helping to expose Walter Mabry (Daniel Radcliffe) and Arthur Tressler (Michael Caine), Thaddeus undergoes a major redemptive arc in the second movie and proves that he still has the foresight and ability to outmaneuver even the Horsemen themselves. Given the significant twist involving his character in the second movie, the third installlment will likely see him assume a mentor role or serve as a senior member of The Eye moving forward.

1

Dylan Rhodes

Played By Mark Ruffalo

First introduced as the FBI agent assigned to investigate the potential criminal exploits of The Four Horsemen, it is the stunning revelation that Dylan Rhodes was the secret mastermind behind the team’s formation that gives him the top position as the franchise’s most skilled magician. The son of magician Lionel Shrike, it is Dylan’s attempt to seek revenge for the death of his father that first prompts him to form the Horseman and set his elaborate plan in motion.

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A mastermind in every sense of the word, Dylan is an expert in manipulation, planning, and playing the long game. Learning the gift of patience from a trick once performed by his father that saw him place a signed playing card inside a tree for 20 years, Rhodes is willing to dedicate decades of his life to infiltrating organizations like the FBI to attain his end game. It is this kind of perseverance and single-mindedness that makes him the most formidable magician in the Now You See Me franchise.