This past Tuesday, Disney announced that they would be soon be ending their deal with Netflix in preparation to launch their own signature streaming service in 2019. Now, Reuters is reporting that Netflix is in talks with Disney in an effort to retain the right to stream Marvel Studios and Lucasfilm content to infinity and beyond 2019. When asked about the discussions taking place, Netflix Chief Content Officer Red Sarandos confirmed that they are happening, and that Disney's plan to break away and create their own service was always an inevitability. Sarandos then added, "That's why we got into the originals business five years ago, anticipating it may be not as easy a conversation with studios and networks to license their content."
For the moment, Marvel Studios content that would be permitted to stream via Netflix in 2019 (and then some) includes AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR, ANT-MAN AND THE WASP, CAPTAIN MARVEL, the untitled AVENGERS 4 project, whatever the SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING sequel turns out to be, and GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY 3. On the other end of the spectrum, Lucasfilms titles would include the untitled HAN SOLO movie, STAR WARS: EPISODE IX, and any other potential spin-offs as well.
In what we know about Disney's planned streaming service so far, the platform is poised to be the exclusive home in the U.S. for subscription-video-on-demand viewing of the newest live-action and animated offerings from both Disney and Pixar. It's also to note that when Netflix potentially loses their ability to stream Disney and Marvel-related content, they'd be missing out on the studio's 2019 releases like TOY STORY 4, the FROZEN sequel, and the live-action version of THE LION KING. In addition to these highly-anticipated films, Disney will also look to bolster their already healthy line-up of original movies, TV shows, and short-form content.
Personally, I'm hoping that both Netflix and Disney can come to some form of an agreement. With that being said. I would imagine that Disney's confidence in their ability to move on from their deal with Netflix is quite strong. The House of Mouse certainly has the library to support introducing their own service, and that's based on their original animated features alone. Now, couple those titles with Pixar's slate of films, then add Marvel and Lucasfilms to the mix, and damn! I think you see the point I'm trying to make here.
Either way, we'll be watching this story closely as it develops. For now, you can still catch a whole bunch of STAR WARS, Marvel, and Pixar films on Netflix, though for how long is anyone's guess at this point in time.