The man, the legend, Carl Icahn revealed a substantial 10% stake in Netflix (NFLX 0.49%) this week. Though Icahn has not been successful with similar companies in the past (ex: Blockbuster), there may be a method to his madness after all.

Even though Netflix has fallen from its previously lofty valuation of around $300 a share, it's risen more than 40% since early August, and rewarded recent shareholders handsomely. 

However, the real question is whether these gains can continue. With direct competition such as, Amazon (AMZN 0.94%), Google (GOOGL 4.13%), and Microsoft (MSFT 0.44%) Netflix's growth will only be more difficult in the future.