The fighting robot anime series Voltron is leaving Netflix after eight years of calling the streaming service its exclusive home.
Voltron: Legendary Defender was the latest adaptation of the classic space-faring Toei anime, following a group of teenagers who are transported to Earth to fight in an intergalactic war being the steering wheel of giant robotic animal-shaped ships.
Starring the likes of Arcane's Josh Keaton and directed by Lauren Montgomery (who is working on the new Avatar: The Last Airbender movie), Legendary Defender ran for eight seasons between 2016 and 2018 all exclusive to Netflix.
Why Is Voltron Leaving Netflix?
After eight years of calling Netflix its exclusive home, Voltron: Legendary Defender is leaving the service.
According to reporting from What's On Netflix, the modern Voltron series will be removed from the Netflix catalog on December 6.
This has caused widespread confusion among fans, as many had assumed the series was produced directly by Netflix, making its removal flummoxing to some.
That, however, does not seem to be the case. The official Voltron Facebook account posted explaining to fans why the series would no longer be available, saying that Legendary Defender was not produced directly by Netflix but by Dreamworks Productions and then licensed by Netflix.
It has been made clear that Dreamworks still has the rights to the property, the deal between it and Netflix has expired, meaning it is now free to do what it wants with the series.
The Netflix/Dreamworks deal ran from 2016 to 2020, producing several hit streaming spin-offs based on Dreamworks properties. Voltron was just one part of this greater deal.
In 2020, the animation studio forged a new partnership with Hulu, and, with the launch of Peacock (a streamer owned by Dreamworks parent company Comcast), several big-name Dreamworks projects have made their way over to that streamer rather than Netflix.
That is not to say Dreamworks titles have completely given the cold shoulder to Netflix.
Several Dreamworks titles like Gabby's Dollhouse and Kung Fu Panda have continued to be released on the service, meaning there still seems to be some sort of relationship there.
Where Can I Watch Voltron?
For the time being, fans can still watch Voltron: Legendary Defender on Netflix - at least until Friday, December 6.
After that, the show's streaming future will be hanging in the ether.
Netflix recently revealed on its official blog that the streaming giant struck a new deal with Dreamworks that will see the company's theatrical films (along with fellow Comcast-owned Illumination Entertainment) come to the service starting with its 2027 release slate.
This means the two companies are very clearly still willing to work together and could indicate that the Voltron situation may be resolved in the coming weeks, months, or years.
Fans will also be able to get their fix of the franchise in live-action very soon. In October 2024, it was reported that former Superman actor Henry Cavill had been tapped to star in a live-action Voltron film at Amazon MGM (via Variety).
Release information for that film has not yet been made public, but with Cavill on board, it seems highly likely that the movie will see the light of day in the next several years.
Voltron: Legendary Defender is now streaming on Netflix but is set to be removed on Friday, December 6.
