A DM should be able to run what they want. However there are only so many limitations a DM can impose without being considered unreasonable without actively attempting to hook the players in.
I agree that it would be a case of the players wanting to play in a "all-inclusive" setting while the GM expects something very specific and probably a case of mismatched expectation. However, without knowing anyone in this thread, I am nonetheless pretty sure that
@Oofta, for example, isn't advocating against the "
active attempting to hook the players in", even if it's only by saying "trust me on the curated list, I have built a world very fun to play in over the last decades, I understand not everything fits in it but it's part of the appeal, sure you don't want to try it?" I assume that actively attempting to hook the players is the baseline when proposing to GM, irrespective of the pitch, that can be very different. One could replace 13th century france with "an all-dwarf campaign" or an "all wizard campaign". It isn't THAT FAR outside of D&D central concept and yet it would lead to the same debate over GM's right to accept a fighter in his all-wizard campaign. It's imho not different from wanting to run in their homebrew world where the creator god decided to create exactly THREE sentient races in his image, out of each of his kidneys.
Sure the GM wants to play something and he's enticing his players to do it, but it fits for anything, not only the world but also the campaign... Let's take RotFM. Some GMs will want to play it as "adventuring in a snow background, let's be merry and snowball throwing and adventure like everywhere else, but with snow-covered firs instead of deciduous trees -- oh, look, cute chwingas!" while other will notice that the campaign deals with human sacrifice, cannibalism and so on and what to play it "horror-style" which is outside of the standard D&D parameters as well. BOTH will pitch their vision actively and try to interest the players.
And if players want to play an horror version of RotFM and the GM wants to gloss over the bleaker aspects, then I don't think he should compromise.
If it's not fun for him, he is under no obligation to play, exactly like any other player. One rule for everyone.