Netflix Might Be Seriously Removing Its Best Original Anime in 4 Months

Netflix has gone “all-in” when it comes to both the worlds of animation and anime. A perfect example of this being the fact is the recent Netflix Geeked Week event that saw the streaming service releasing quite a few announcements regarding upcoming animated projects. Devil May Cry, Magic The Gathering, Sakamoto Days, Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft, Cyberpunk 2077, Castlevania Nocturne, and Arcane had strong showings, and live-action anime adaptations for One Piece and Avatar: The Last Airbender were well represented. Unfortunately, it seems that Netflix’s focus on animation won’t save one of their biggest anime originals from facing the ax. 

Netflix has made a name for itself in the past with its animated originals. On top of the series mentioned that appeared at the Geeked Week event earlier this week, the streaming service has created several long-running series that helped boost subscriber numbers. Series such as Bojack Horseman, Love, Death & Robots, Big Mouth, The Dragon Prince have all assisted in making the platform a pinnacle spot for animation. On the movie front, Netflix was even able to score an Academy Award for “Best Animated Feature” for Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio. All these facts however might not be enough to save Voltron: Legendary Defender. 

Voltron: Legendary Defender Might Be Leaving Netflix

Reportedly, Voltron: Legendary Defender will leave Netflix this year on December 7th according to outlet What’s On Netflix. The animated series, which was released on the streaming service in 2016, garnered a wild eight seasons to help deliver its story of mech pilots fighting against alien hordes. While there have been several fan campaigns hoping to get a ninth season created for Voltron, those same fans might be heartbroken if this news comes to pass.

Many might think this might be impossible since Netflix “owns” Voltron: Legendary Defender, but the streaming service wasn’t the only platform working on the mech-based series. Netflix teamed up with DreamWorks Animation in creating this new take on Voltron, leading credence to the idea that the animated series might be jumping ship. Produced by Studio Mir (The Legend of Korra, My Adventures With Superman, and the upcoming Devil May Cry), the series was a collaboration and might mean that the rights are expiring this year. As of the writing of this article, there has been no word on where Voltron: Legendary Defender might end up should it get the boot from Netflix.

Voltron’s Future

While things aren’t looking good for Voltron: Legendary Defender should this report be true, that doesn’t mean we’ve seen the last of the robotic lions that form the giant mech. Earlier this summer, Amazon MGM Studios reportedly approved moving forward on the live-action reboot, with creator Rawson Marshall Thurber (Red Notice, Central Intelligence) attached to co-write the film with Ellen Shanman. David Hoberman, Todd Lierberman, and Bob Koplar will reportedly produce the project. Considering how well live-action anime adaptations have been doing in recent years, it should be no surprise that Amazon MGM is hopping on the bandwagon.

If you want to revisit the original series that started it all, the 1980s Voltron is available to watch on Crunchyroll. While the animation might look quite different from what Studio Mir produced, Voltron’s story is one that has resonated over the years with anime fans. 

Want to stay updated on all things Voltron? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on the franchise and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.