Recently, I was going to dinner with a few friends, and the subject of the new "Ghostbusters" film came up, which caused an otherwise calm conversation to devolve into an all-out feud.

One person in particular took offense to statements made by Paul Feig, the film's director, where he equated the hateful fans to Donald Trump supporters. From there, my friend’s comments echoed that of another outspoken anti-"Ghostbusters" advocate, James Rolfe (aka Angry Video Game Nerd). i.e.; “The trailers make it look terrible; we wanted to original cast back before they pass it on; its piggybacking on the namesake; I won't see it,” with the same resentment of any overly-dedicated fan who believes they know what’s best for their beloved franchise.

In the age of after-credit scenes and Easter eggs, studios have taken the route of appeasement when it comes to dealing with fan entitlement.

The concept has discussed by various publications since the "Ghostbusters" controversy began. However, there has been a failure to acknowledge the factor for that began the trend: fan service.

With the amount of reboots and adaptions made in the current cinema climate, the overly-dedicated fan has become an ideal target for the studios due to their dedication to a franchise, which gives them little references to previous films and characters who might appear in a sequel if the movie succeeds. However, in recent years, the power dynamic has shifted.

When films stray from a preferred idea or a beloved character's "true" form, the overly-dedicated fan retaliates across all social media platforms, demanding blood. It in this shift that the problem exists.

Rather than allowing filmmakers to follow their vision of a popular property, overly-dedicated fans have unintentionally conspired with studios to create the same high-selling, but lackluster films that are more about inside jokes and references than a quality film.

The effects of constant fan appeasement is reflected in the plot lines of films with very aggressive fan bases.

Going back to James Rolfe, he explains that he would have preferred that the new"Ghostbusters" film feature the original cast in their iconic roles for one last romp, before passing on the mantle to the new cast. An absolutely marvelous idea.

So marvelous that the studios have used this idea for "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," "Fast and Furious 7" and the "X-Men" series, to name a few.

Overly-dedicated fans have essentially created an extortion racket with the film industry. Studios have to make what are essentially one hundred million bribes filled with fan favorite moments before being able to move on with a franchise.

However, at this point, expectations are set - and should a filmmaker deviate from the preferred path, the fans revolt.

Dedicated fans cast a veil of protection, and want to block out any filmmaker that desires to make something involving beloved property at the risk of it being ruined by a different film that would be associated with it.

It is in this misguided logic that we create films more obsessed with its predecessors or source material rather than the film being made.

Dedicated fans’ love for fan service is not just killing reboots of dormant franchises, it's hurting ones we are trying to establish now.

Take everyone’s favorite R-rated comic book movie of the year, "Deadpool," as an example of this problematic trend in spectacle film making.

While I am an avid fan of the titular character, the film’s comedy rides heavily on referential jokes; addressing the constant recasting of key characters in the "X-Men" series, under-performing films of Ryan Reynolds and overused comic book movie tropes. Everything fans wanted from the film.

In this strict dedication to fan demands, no risks are being taken; therefore no unique identity is established to make it last through the years. The film's value relies on the previous films in the established canon, which works for as long as the comic book movie bubble lasts, but eventually the referential moments will fade into obscurity as the films age. All of those moments of comedy will lack meaning to the next generation who won’t immediately know who James McAvoy or Patrick Stewart are.

While I want to see popular characters and franchises given a film treatment, I understand that liberties must be taken and sacrifices made so that a filmmaker can tell the story they want.

Sometimes it fails to pay off (looking at you"Batman Vs. Superman"), but I appreciate the fact that a director wanted to put their take on material they love. The failure will teach the studio about what not to do.

We as fans have to understand our role in the art making process, as both creator and destroyer.

If we continue to restrict what our filmmakers to a niche list of options when making these films, we will hinder our favorite.

Before you destroy a trailer in a YouTube comment section, think about what you are doing to your franchise. Be critical, not misguided.