Titles of popular films are typed into the search bar. Instead of once-popular films, there are lesser-known replacements. The shelves of Netflix are left empty of fan favorites.

Over the past few years, well-known shows and movies have been removed from Netflix’s website. Netflix not only removes originals that are exclusive to the website, but also other licensed material. Removals are due to “licensing limitations, temporary or permanent licensing issues, time-specific content, content owner withdrawals, regional takedowns, or legal requirements,” according to What’s on Netflix.

Some examples of shows and movies being removed from Netflix in 2026 are Blue Beetle, The Hangover trilogy, The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part, the Kung Fu Panda trilogy, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and the Maze Runner trilogy.

Netflix originals have no licensing limitations, meaning they should stay on the website. Although sometimes they are removed and later added with a different ownership. Netflix originals are only removed if they are not entirely produced by Netflix itself. As described in Men’s Journal, Netflix is forced to remove content based on the nature of the production, who’s producing the work, and on agreements it has signed.

Licensing agreements are among the most common reasons shows and movies are removed from Netflix. A license agreement is a legal contract in which the owner of the property grants another party permission to use, produce, or sell it, according to Investopedia. Once a license agreement expires, the cost of renewing it increases, and based on the show or movie’s popularity, Netflix decides whether to renew it or remove it from the app.

Although license agreements are ending, that’s no excuse for the streaming platform to add films that don’t gain as much popularity or viewership. It’s a common theme for films to be added to Netflix and barely get attention from social media, such as TikTok and Instagram.

Netflix has lost sight of what its viewers want to see. Thunderbird students have realized that some of their favorite films have been replaced with “lesser-known and boring” ones. Jasmine Van Leuven, sophomore, said, “I don’t know why Netflix is adding movies and shows that no one cares about, nor have they heard of. I miss when the stuff on Netflix was interesting to watch.”