Critical Role was fine, as they actually play other characters.

The "modern audience" doesn't want to do that. They want to play themselves or a perceived aspect of themselves in a mostly modern world representation but with magic. That's why you have to have a wheelchair mechanic, and race no longer reflects anything of importance.

This focus on "self exploration" has infected not only the players, but the creative teams as well. As someone noted below, many of the dwarves are probably self-inserts. We also get such releases as: "D&D’s Strixhaven campaign has mechanics for ‘what a hot mess college life can be’".

Thus all fantasy productions will just be "L.A., right now, but with some magic.... kind of"

R.I.P. DnD. You follow other greats like star wars and Indiana Jones to Valhalla while the corpos wear you like skin suits.