Seems like D&D is less likely to be evolved than gelded and chained to the turning arm of a pump or mill like a draft horse, where the pump is a youtube show, and online play app, and a Hot Topic shelf as ab afterthought. Buy t-shirts and pops.
More people are actually playing D&D today than ever played it before. And that's not an non-sequitur to your comment, it just takes some thought as to why that's relevant to what you claimed.
Comics were always a loose leader for WB/Disney, the money is in the licenses.
Which is why you see this move to turn everything into a "Life-Brand". You don't need to play D&D to nuy funkos, comics, T-Shirts, etc. And WotC/Hasbro makes money of that with exactly zero risk. Because they get paid BEFORE anything is sold.
So, a hit movie/tv show/youtube scripted campaign are better for them than a better game. They got money upfront for the first two & the third one doesn't cost them a penny.
So, as long as the twitteratzis keep on promoting them for being part of the DIE cult (and their ratting keeps the stock valuable), the licenses will keep on getting sold at increasing prices. As long as the junk keeps on selling they could stop producing D&D or give it away for free and still not lose money in the process.