Voltron: Legendary Defender will be leaving Netflix later this December, and the team behind the animated series has responded to Netflix removing their own original series. Voltron: Legendary Defender marks a very important period in Netflix’s history. It might not be the first original project they have ever produced, but it’s by far the first very notable animated series exclusive to the platform. The series had a massive fandom for the entire eight season run, but it’s been quite a long time since that final season had been released. Now as the series is gearing up to be removed from Netflix, the team behind it is speaking out.
It was first spotted earlier this Fall that Voltron: Legendary Defender would be leaving Netflix’s streaming service on December 7th, and fans have been curious as to the situation given that it’s their original series. In an official statement shared through Voltron’s official Facebook page, they explain that it’s due to the license for the series expiring. It’s produced by Dreamworks Animation and licensed to Netflix, and as of the time of this publication, discussions are currently ongoing as to whether or not Netflix will renew the license.
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Why Is Voltron: Legendary Defender Leaving Netflix?
As for the situation between Voltron: Legendary Defender and Netflix, the Voltron team clarified a few things, “Voltron: Legendary Defender was not produced by Netflix. It was produced by DreamWorks Animation and licensed to Netflix. That license is expiring.” Secondly, they noted the ongoing discussions between the two parties, “There is a chance the license gets renewed, those discussions are ongoing between all parties involved.” But also note that there is hope to watch elsewhere, “If the license does not get renewed, DreamWorks is free to license VLD to another streaming platform.”
Explaining that while Seasons 1-6 of the series are also available on Amazon Prime, but the final two seasons will be harder to come by if they’re removed by Netflix. There was also a question from fans that because of the now in development live-action film from Amazon MGM Studios (which has most recently cast Henry Cavill in a currently mysterious role), “We’ve been asked if this is because Amazon is producing a live action Voltron film. The live action film and the end of the contract to stream Legendary Defender are completely unrelated. By coincidence, a film that has been in development for years is moving into production around the same time as the six-year terms of the Netflix contract are coming to an end.”
What Happens to Voltron Now?
As of the time of this statement this Fall, Netflix is still listing December 6th as the final day fans will be able to stream the eight season series with the service. Voltron: Legendary Defender is a fairly bingeable series, so it’s quite possible to actually make your way through it all before that date just in case. The series was a full reboot of the original Voltron anime, and with it introduced a whole new set of characters fans instantly fell in love with.
If the license does indeed expire and the series leaves Netflix in December, then it’s unfortunately going to be a rather disappointing blow for Voltron: Legendary Defender fans. Despite the animated series airing its final episode a while ago, there’s no fandom that’s as dedicated to their franchise than Voltron fans. It’s why the upcoming live-action film has a great chance at success, and why this series not sticking around would be a blow to those who often rewatch it. We’ll just have to see what happens.