Kevin Smith To Martin Scorsese: “Who Is Jesus If Not A Superhero?”

If there’s any entertainment to be wrought from the quote-unquote “fallout” of Martin Scorsese‘s comments on comic book movies, it’s in watching people be very, very careful in how they respond. While Marvel stalwarts like Robert Downey Jr., Samuel L. Jackson, and James Gunn have all weighed in on Scorsese’s interview – offering their personal variations on, “Yeah, well, you know, that’s just, like, your opinion, man” – the latest person to share their thoughts is noted comic book lover Kevin Smith. And to his credit, at least Smith is trying to add a little analysis to the conversation.

In a recent interview with Yahoo! Entertainment, Smith suggested that Scorsese might not be as separated from superhero movies as he would have us believe. “I would say this, and I’m not countering Mr. Scorsese: Martin Scorsese made perhaps the biggest superhero movie ever made,” Smith said. “‘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?”

Now, granted, the suggestion that Marvel movies are “theme park rides” has almost as much to do with the environment as it does the subject matter. You take a film or a character out of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and you leave a superhero-shaped hole that the studio will easily fill with a combination of young talent and house aesthetic. This is an entirely different creative process than the one behind “The Last Temptation of Christ,” where Scorsese grappled with his religious upbringing for the umpteenth time on film. But there’s some small kernel of truth to what Smith is suggesting: if superhero movies depict forces above man battling it out for control of the world, then a generous read could place depictions of the life of Jesus in that same box as well.

If nothing else, here’s hoping that Smith’s comments immediately inspire superhero fans to go out and watch “The Last Temptation of Christ.” There’s room for all types of movies in the High Temple of Cinema, and the only surefire way to have your opinion cast down is to never engage with a film outside your comfort zone.