The world of entertainment grows more à la carte every day, as streaming platforms have redefined the way viewers consume their media. But with so many players in the movie and TV industry, studios are still in the process of figuring out how to maximize their own profits on such platforms. Netflix has been there from the start, pioneering the direct-to-consumer streaming service concept via a revolving door of content. Now, with so much of its content made in-house, Netflix has plenty to keep consumers hooked, and is relying less and less on movies and television shows generated by outside studios. Still, it came as a rather heavy blow when Disney announced that it will be pulling content from Netflix to start its own streaming services.

This news is major in that Netflix and Disney already have a working relationship beyond Netflix serving as a place to watch Disney movies. Where there is Disney, there is Marvel, and Netflix has several dramatic shows produced in conjunction with Marvel. So should fans of Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Ironfist lament an end to their favorite shows just as The Defenders - not to mention The Punisher - gets ready to debut on Netflix? The short answer is: No -- at least, not just yet.

Reading beyond the surface of Disney's announcement reveals that it is ending only one of two contracts with Netflix. The 2019-expiring deal means Disney family movies - like the upcoming Lion King live-action film, Frozen 2 and Toy Story 4 - will not be available to watch on Netflix after their theatrical releases. The agreement that links Marvel and Netflix through their original series stays intact, though it's essentially fulfilled once The Defenders premieres. Netflix is aware that this could be a problem, however, leading the service to formally announce that it is actively negotiating with Netflix to maintain streaming rights to Star Wars and Marvel films past 2019, though the co-produced series were not discussed.

Will Disney Start A Marvel/LucasFilm Streaming Service?

Thus far, Disney has announced plans for two different direct-to-consumer platforms. One will focus on its sports content at ESPN, and the other family programming along the lines of what is currently offered on the Disney Channel. Disney CEO Bob Iger has already signaled that Disney is considering whether Marvel and LucasFilm programming will be included on the streaming service, or whether the tonally different content deserves its specific home. As far as comic-based content, the precedent is in the process of being set as DC has a streaming service in the works that will exclusively stream the live-actionTitans and animated Young Justice: Outsiders.

It would stand to reason that a studio with access to a never-ending vault of comic material would want a platform for that content which remained under its ownership. Marvel already has shows slated to debut on Freeform (Cloak and Dagger and New Warriors), ABC (Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD and Marvel’s Inhumans), and Disney XD (Star Wars Rebels), a good number of series with which to pad a Marvel/LucasFilm streaming service. But there's also a glaring reason to consider foregoing a streaming service for Marvel and sticking with Netflix: Its reputation.

Disney knows branding like no other studio. It has built an empire on being recognizable and family-oriented. Until it partnered with Netflix, Disney kept its subsidiaries in line with its mostly squeaky clean image. The Star Wars franchise appeals to both adults and children, and though darker themes play throughout, the films just fit with the Disney brand. Thus far, Marvel Studios films also fit the brand, and Marvel Comics has plenty of lighter material for Disney to adapt for years to come. But Netflix offer Disney the out to create content with an edge sharper than anything in the Disney brand. It cannot be understated that when Disney bought Marvel, it bought the darker and more violent comics in the publisher's oeuvre, along with the fans of those stories.

Netflix's original Marvel shows allow fans to see their favorite characters get gritty, and the companies' separateness means there is no hit on the Disney branding. Disney would be smart - at least when it comes to Marvel entities - to spread its content around different platforms based on which home fits the material best. In this post-Deadpool world, there's a demand for more abrasive comic adaptations, and Netflix provides the perfect home for Marvel.

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At the End of the Day, It's All A Numbers Game

Disney may be a leading producer of beloved entities at the forefront of sci-fi (Lucasfilm), superhero (Marvel), and family entertainment (Pixar and Disney Animation), but in some ways, the company's status as an established Hollywood studio has it at a disadvantage. Netflix is data-driven. Netflix invented the streaming game and has proven to be at least a few steps ahead of everyone else in figuring out how to keep the game moving forward.

Netflix foresaw how catastrophic it would be if and when studios started pulling licensed entertainment from the company around five years ago -- early enough to rapidly build up its own original content. Disney is starting from scratch just as consumers are starting to seriously consider just how many services they are willing to pay for. With every major pay cable channel having its own streaming service competing with the well-established relationships consumers have with Netflix, Amazon and Hulu, the limit to what people are willing to pay is fast approaching -- if it hasn't;t arrived already. This especially applies to those who ditched bundled television packages in order to save money by focusing only on streaming services.

The reality is, Disney will have woo subscribers over the next few years, while Netflix just has to build on the base it already has. A base that's already over 100 million subscribers. Additionally, Netflix doesn't release data on viewership of its content, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that its actions most definitely reflect the information they have on viewer behavior. For instance, a majority of Netflix subscribers are outside the U.S. and manga has officially taken over as the most mainstream style of comics in the world. It's no coincidence Netflix now offers the most anime content of any streaming service and has started producing original anime content including Cannon Busters, Devilman Crybaby, and Godzilla. That Marvel's shows have performed exceedingly well is why Netflix has unfurled a master plan to develop its own superhero franchises.

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Remember - Netflix Is Gearing Up For Its Own Superhero Cinematic Universe

Netflix must have, at least somewhat, foreseen Disney's actions. The same week Disney made the announcement to pull content from the streaming service, Netflix made its own huge announcement that it had bought comic imprint Millarworld. This is the company's first acquisition, and the message is clear: Franchises keep viewers coming back, and comics make for the best franchises. Neither Netflix or Mark Millar, the writer of Millarworld's comics, have revealed which of the comics will be adapted, but by purchasing the company outright and not just buying rights to some of its work, Netflix may be saying Millar and Co. will be creating an entirely new universe to adapt for the screen.

RELATED: What Is Millarword? A Guide to Netflix’s New Superhero ‘Universe’

Millarworld imprints are a great fit for Netflix's established branding as a place to find more dramatic and hard-edged content. Millar writes flawed characters who challenge traditional superhero molds. Indeed, Marvel is currently benefitting from Millar's work as he was the one who wrote the Civil War comic event which has seeded storylines in the Avengers movies. Millar also wrote the Old Man Logan comic Logan pulled from with great success earlier in 2017 and his Ultimate Fantastic Four was the basis for the ultimately unsuccessful 2015 reboot of the franchise.

As Marvel gears up for Phase 4 of its cinematic universe, Netflix has clearly picked up on the endless possibilities comic books provide. Character arcs are written over years and often rebooted with new versions, parallel universes and retold origin stories. More financially significant, film franchises are perfect for merchandising. As of yet, Netflix hasn't especially tapped into the earning potential of merchandise based on its original content, but considering the company's $20 billion dollar debt, it has to be part of the business plan. The company tested the merchandise waters with a line of Stranger Things merchandise at Hot Topic that was well received. If it can build a true cinematic universe, the merchandise potential is huge.

Despite so many huge announcements coming in quick succession from Disney and Netflix, the good news is that all of these plans have a few years to play out. By then, both companies will have game plans that are sure to protect their own interests, and they won't necessarily mean the beginning of the end of their relationship. If anything, it could be the start to a more mature and defined affiliation, which would be great news for viewers who would prefer not to have to choose sides in a streaming custody battle.