Shout out

An observation from TV Tropes.

Running The Asylum

A sufficiently established franchise is indistinguishable from Fanfic.

When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.

—Hunter S. Thompson

When a fictional franchise has lasted long enough to induct its fandom into the ranks of its professional creators, the distinction between Canon and Fan Fic erodes. The new wave of creators start sneaking Fanon into official sources. Ret Cons abound. Writers will revisit old stories, instilling far more self-indulgent detail into the retellings than ever appeared in the original.

In short, the Inmates are Running the Asylum.

Sometimes, this can bring fresh, new life to the franchise. Other times, the same kind of infighting that erupts in fannish circles will play out between creative teams—but now, the factions are all armed with Canon.

I note that Joss Whedon calls himself the luckiest fan in the world ...