Those planning on using Netflix to have epic Marvel movie or Star Wars marathons may be out of luck in the near future.
The force will instead be with a new streaming service offered by Disney, which is slated to debut some time in 2019. Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger said yesterday that Netflix would no longer be gaining access to Lucasfilm and Marvel Movies.
It was already announced last month that the megacompany would transfer its Disney and Pixar titles to the new direct-to-consumer streaming service, but it wasn't until now that the fate of Lucasfilm and Marvel movies was revealed.
"We've now decided we will put the Marvel and Star Wars movies on this app as well," Iger said, as reported by E! News.
That means you'll have to go elsewhere to find everything from sure-to-be Blockbuster hits such as "Thor: Ragnarok" and "Star Wars: The Last Jedi."
The Cost?
The company is yet to release a price for the Disney app, and Iger said that the streaming service would feature four to five original films a year. It will also offer original series and TV movies. Disney previously agreed to give Netflix the rights to their films up until 2016 releases. That means that "Beauty and the Beast," "Captain America" and "Moana" may still be the main features of your next movie night if you're using Netflix.
Netflix also has a contract with Marvel to keep its series based on comic books, such as "Jessica Jones" and "Luke Cage." It's unclear how or if the move will impact Netflix subscriptions and its audience, but the company doesn't seem too worried.
"I would say that the relationship between studios and networks has always been that of a frenemy," Chief Content Editor Ted Sarandos told Variety last month.
Sarandos noted that many media companies are attempting to do their own streaming services and it's perfectly reasonable for brands to try to optimize its content to the best of their ability.
"We started making original content five years ago," he added, "betting this would happen."
The impact on Netflix
So how is the social media world reacting to the news?
It doesn't seem that fans are affected much it, with many voicing they'd view the content elsewhere outside of Netflix while still keeping their subscriptions.
Disney investors didn't seem to be thrilled by the news, with shares of the company dropping 4 percent in midday trading following the announcement. Netflix shares were not affected for better or worse, signaling that the move may not have a significant impact when the times comes.