Kevin Smith Responds to Martin Scorsese Dismissing Superhero Movies

Filmmaker Kevin Smith has yet to deliver audiences a feature-length superhero movie, but he is one [...]

Filmmaker Kevin Smith has yet to deliver audiences a feature-length superhero movie, but he is one of the more outspoken supporters of comic book films, having recently taken issue with Martin Scorsese's dismissal of the genre by noting that some of the films from his own career mimic what is depicted in Marvel and DC Comics films. While not all audiences will agree with Smith's comparisons, the filmmaker noted that The Last Temptation of Christ could be perceived as a "superhero" movie, not in that it depicts conflicts between caped characters, but in that it depicts the inspiring efforts of an individual who might possess powers that surpass those of a normal human.

"Martin Scorsese has made such wonderful movies," Smith shared with Yahoo!. "He's been doing the job since I was a kid. I'm not going to sit and be like, 'I know better than him.' That's his feelings. I would say this, and I'm not countering Mr. Scorsese: Martin Scorsese made perhaps the biggest superhero movie ever made."

Smith continued, "The Last Temptation of Christ is a superhero movie. And I'm not diminishing Jesus by any stretch of the imagination. But who is Jesus if not a superhero?"

Earlier this month, Scorsese was discussing his latest film, The Irishman, with Empire Magazine when he was asked about superhero films. Despite the filmmaker being credited as a producer on Joker, the Goodfellas director admitted that comic book movies just weren't for him.

"I don't see them. I tried, you know? But that's not cinema," Scorsese admitted. "Honestly, the closest I can think of them, as well made as they are, with actors doing the best they can under the circumstances, is theme parks. It isn't the cinema of human beings trying to convey emotional, psychological experiences to another human being."

From his earliest filmmaking endeavors, Smith has made his admiration for comic books evident, even stepping behind the camera to direct various episodes of The CW's comic book series. Smith noted that, while he respects Scorsese's opinion, just because he doesn't connect emotionally with these characters doesn't mean other viewers don't.

"Martin Scorsese probably doesn't have the emotional attachment to those movies that I do," Smith confessed. "When he sees those movies, he's like, 'That's a theme park.' When I see those movies, that is the closest I get to being with my dad at a movie theater again," said the filmmaker, who recounted weekly trips to as a child with his father to the cineplex, where they consumed the latest blockbusters."

He added, "I respect his opinion, but I don't think he has the same emotional attachment that a lot of us have. It's the men and the women that we relate to in the movie, not the 'super' part."

Joker is in theaters now. Smith's Jay and Silent Bob Reboot will begin hitting theaters later this month.

What do you think of Smith's remarks? Let us know in the comments below!

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