Picture Credit: The CW
The steady dismantling of The CW’s Arrowverse on Netflix continues. All four seasons of Black Lightning are scheduled to leave Netflix in the United States on September 1st, 2026.
Developed by Salim Akil, Black Lightning was the fifth title to join The CW’s massive DC TV universe. Starring Cress Williams as Jefferson Pierce, a high school principal forced out of superhero retirement to protect his family and community from gang violence, the show ran for four seasons between January 2018 and May 2021.
With the show’s removal just around the corner, trying to binge the Arrowverse in its entirety on Netflix is about to get significantly harder.
When and why is Black Lightning leaving Netflix US?
If you’ve been following our coverage of The CW shows on Netflix over the years, you’ll know that the network had a massive overall legacy output deal with the streaming service that concluded in 2019. Any show that premiered before the deal ended was grandfathered in, meaning new seasons continued to hit Netflix shortly after thei r televised finales.
Once a show wraps up its final season, a countdown clock begins—typically keeping the show on the platform for exactly five years.
With the fourth and final season of Black Lightning arriving on Netflix US on June 16th, 2021, that five-year window is officially coming to a close. As a result, all 58 episodes across four seasons will depart Netflix US on September 1st, 2026. Netflix has confirmed the removal.
If you’re reading this from outside the United States, you might already be well aware that Jefferson Pierce has left the building. Because Black Lightning was the only Arrowverse series distributed exclusively as a licensed Netflix Original internationally (in regions like the UK, Australia, and Canada), the show had already left international libraries on February 9th, 2025.
The Arrowverse is getting much harder to watch on Netflix
For years, Netflix was the ultimate binge-watching destination for DC fans. But with the clock ticking on these legacy CW licenses, the universe is becoming increasingly fractured.
If you use our comprehensive guide on how to watch the Arrowverse in chronological order, you’ll know that the foundational series, Arrow (which spanned eight seasons and 170 episodes), already departed Netflix back on December 18th, 2025.
Now, with Black Lightning leaving in September, massive crossover events like Crisis on Infinite Earths are going to have even more missing puzzle pieces for subscribers attempting a complete watch-through.
The beginning of the “end” of the Arrowverse on Netflix is fully underway. Here is the updated removal schedule for the remaining DC series on the platform
- Black Lightning – Leaving September 1st, 2026
- Supergirl – Leaving December 2026
- DC’s Legends of Tomorrow – Leaving September 2027
- The Flash – Leaving November 2028
Where will Black Lightning stream after leaving Netflix?
While an official streaming home hasn’t been officially confirmed just yet, the answer on paper should be HBO Max, but as we’ve seen with Arrow, which currently calls PlutoTV its home, it’s not necessarily guaranteed.
Will you be sad to see Black Lightning leave Netflix US in September 2026? Let us know in the comments below!
