Rather than watching stuff from franchises pumped out by big Hollywood studios, you should try watching some of the non-American films that are being produced.
Korea, Turkey, Russia and India are all making some interesting films, although they tend to be either brilliant or complete turkeys, and you sometimes have to soak in the culture a bit to get over the lower budgets. Chinese films sadly are too often influenced by Hollywood, but there's an occasional gem.
The issue with franchises is really down to the place the USA finds itself in culturally. Films are written by committees that have to meet social engineering targets first, and entertainment ones second; they are terrified of being labelled as discriminatory or not including every interest group in the casting choices. It's very McCarthyist !
RE: Every Franchise Is Dying