Netflix has continued to dominate and maintain its chokehold on the global streaming race. Boasting a catalog of hundreds of movies and shows, both licensed and original, the viewership of the platform remains one to be reckoned with. However, in 2024, a stark reality comes face to face with the streamer as five of its biggest hits conclude their run. Long followed by its audience, the end of shows such as Stranger Things, You, The Umbrella Academy, Cobra Kai, and Elite beg the question of how will Netflix manage to keep the tide in its favor.

For the vast churning mill of content that it stands for, there are a few running and upcoming productions that may help Netflix retain its audience base created specifically by these five behemoths and possibly serve as replacements.

1. Stranger Things may offer its crown to Wednesday

Running for four seasons and led by Millie Bobby Brown, Stranger Things has come remarkably close to its season five conclusion. Followed by a string of recent updates on filming, the last season of the show may fall sometime in late 2024 or early 2025. Additionally, its themes of sci-hi blended horror thriller laced with elements of teenage drama, mystery, and intrigue, may prove hard for Netflix to replicate. Moreover, featuring a fanbase of widely relatable and beloved characters, the job gets even more difficult.

To take the honor, Jenna Ortega’s Wednesday may rise to fill in the blank. The Tim Burton-led Addams Family spin-off has sufficient common ground with the Hawkins show to serve as its successor. Moreover, with its first season earning rave reviews and praise and following in on similar themes of supernatural mystique, the chances of Stranger Things audience relating to Wednesday stand as a major possibility.

2. You may find Black Mirror relatable

Netflix’s You followed Joe Goldberg’s obsessive and possessive behavior and marked a thrilling watch and Netflix’s foray into the dark psychological genre. The edge-of-the-seat scenes filled with complex character choices blurring the lines between right and wrong still stand as a testimony to celebrated storytelling. However, after four seasons, You will end its run likely in late 2024 with a final fifth season. Moreover, already delayed by the SAG-AFTRA strikes, the show’s production stands an even tighter schedule in a race to conclusion.

Speaking of themes similar to You, Black Mirror may find resonance in many of the former’s viewers. Touching upon the darker side of humanity and its unabated brush with technology, the star-studded show has plenty of takers. Furthermore, after six enthralling and successful seasons, the Charlie Brooker-created show will return for a seventh one. Colliding with You’s end, the upcoming season of the show may help viewers migrate to an easy home.

3. The Umbrella Academy bears a resemblance to the Russian Doll

In its three seasons so far, The Umbrella Academy has managed to win over fans with its themes of family drama, action, and time-traveling mystery. The Emmy-nominated series following supernatural and superhero narratives has made swift inroads among the young audience. However, in 2024, the series will close its run with its fourth and final season. Rising to fill the void, Netflix’s Russian Doll may become a likely savior of its fanbase owing to the overlapping themes.

Audiences who found the time-traveling aspect of The Umbrella Academy as its selling point will quickly jump ships to Russian Doll. Starting in 2019, the show followed a woman named Nadia entangled in a time loop on her 36th birthday. As she kept dying and getting reincarnated at one point on that very day, she stood at a loss and tried to figure out the meaning and reason behind it. Led by Natasha Lyonne, the show remains hopeful of an incoming third season after a strong show in the previous one.

4. Netflix lines up the Cobra Kai universe for a reboot

A few days down the line, Netflix let out massive updates for plans surrounding the Cobra Kai universe. Starting in 2018 and starring Ralph Macchio, the show stays on track for its conclusion with an upcoming sixth season. However, post the end, the entirety of the universe will lean toward a new direction with the assistance of the current show’s team. An untitled Karate Kid reboot starring Jackie Chan and Macchio has set its eyes for a December 2024 release.

Opening up a world of new content for fans of the long-standing franchise, the new flick will stand in a separate universe of its own. Directed by Jonathan Entwistle and written by Rob Lieber, it will also bring back popular characters from the franchise’s past, laying bare the fan craze. Essentially serving the same themes as Cobra Kai, the new universe will spring to life with its own set of movies and spin-offs.

5. Elite may pass its hold over to Outer Banks

Starting in 2018, Elite followed a group of three working-class students who enrolled in a fictional ‘elite’ scholarship program. Speaking of teenage relations, the complex layering of society in the young adult phase presented itself as a solid enough starting ground to have run for seven seasons straight. Yet, as with every other show in this list, Elite will wrap up its run in 2024 and may more likely than not find its viewership pass over to Outer Banks.

Outer Banks also follows a similar theme following a group of working-class teens in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. In search of a lost treasure, the teenagers stay in constant flux with their better-off counterparts, making way for a dynamic relationship to unfold. Additionally, with its TV-MA rating, the show caters to a more limited viewer base while lapping the content manifold.

Regardless of each of their own, Netflix has tons of other choices that viewers can migrate to. However, based on their themes and similarities to one another, what do you think of the five possible replacements for the five concluding Netflix shows? Let us know in the comments below.