First thing - you listed off movies from 1982-1989. I bet if we looked through all the movies from 2012-2019, we could find just as many really great movies. I think you’re focusing too much on comic book movies to see that there are some instant classics in the past decade.

Second, studios have increasingly relied on the summer blockbuster/tent pole strategy to make money, and as such rely on safe financial bets. It’s safer to invest in franchises than one-off films (Christopher Nolan being a rare exception).

Movie ticket prices have grown exponentially over the past 30 years and moviegoers also want a safer bet when they see a movie. If you’re going to shell out $15/ticket plus concessions, are you going with the movie you’re probably going to enjoy or will you take a risk?

Movie goers like the safe bets of “popcorn flicks” and so studios like investing in them. It’s a perpetual cycle. That doesn’t mean great movies aren’t being made. You may just have to look a little harder since blockbusters dominate the TV and internet marketing.