Kevin Smith Talks New Jay & Silent Bob Crossover, Dogma’s Legacy | Interview

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Recently, Senior Editor Brandon Schreur from ComingSoon had an engaging conversation with Kevin Smith, the creator of Dogma, on the occasion of the film’s 25th anniversary rerelease. During their chat, Smith shared his thoughts about revisiting Dogma after a quarter-century, introduced a new comic collaboration with Archie he penned featuring Jay and Silent Bob, and much more.

The movie’s synopsis goes like this: “The story revolves around two fallen angels, Bartleby (played by Ben Affleck) and Loki (portrayed by Matt Damon). These angels find a loophole in the Catholic teachings that could potentially allow them to re-enter Heaven, which poses a significant threat to the universe’s stability. To counteract this, a diverse ensemble of characters—a woman wrestling with her faith (Linda Fiorentino), the forgotten 13th Apostle (Chris Rock), and the duo Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Kevin Smith)—unite to avert the impending apocalypse. The film offers a mix of humor, wit, and insightful commentary as it delves into themes of faith, salvation, and the human journey.

Dogma returns to United States theaters on June 5, 2025. Click here for more information.

Brandon Schreur: It’s been approximately 25 years since the release of Dogma. Reflecting on it now in 2025, I can’t help but wonder about your perspective as its director. Do you find yourself frequently revisiting your past works, scrutinizing minor details that you might tweak if given the chance? Or do you fondly recall those days and feel grateful for having shared this film with the world?

Kevin Smith: I’m a director who always keeps my past projects alive. Unlike Christopher Nolan, he seldom discusses Following or even Batman Begins. In fact, he’s hardly speaking about Oppenheimer these days. He seems to be focused on the future.

In a fresh and understandable rephrasing: Throughout my career, I’ve been basking in the glory of success, and my films continue to live on as if they were just released yesterday. I run my own cinema, Smodcastle Cinemas, where we screen my movies at premium prices because I’m present to share behind-the-scenes stories. This interaction keeps the movies feeling fresh instead of old.

To further engage with these films, I create comics, such as the Quick Stops series published by Secret Stash Press and Dark Horse Comics. An upcoming comic is focused on Metatron, which adds a new layer to the longevity of my cinematic universe. Is that clearer?

I’ve managed to keep these films relevant even beyond their initial theater and home video releases due to their shared universe (the View Askewniverse). Essentially, this means that I’m always connected to these movies in one way or another. In truth, they’re never really far from me.

Despite my limited interaction with Dogma since its release, I’ve recently spent a month immersed in it due to our tour and Cannes screening. Playing it in twenty cities, with at least two shows each night, followed by our appearance at Cannes Classics, has made me quite familiar with the film. Initially, I was apprehensive given its 90s origins, but to my surprise, it remains relevant. While there are occasional reminders of its age in terms of no modern technology and some outdated CGI, overall, it continues to resonate. It’s been a delight to present this film for the last two months as it has aged exceptionally well.

Absolutely, your thoughts align with mine! You brought up comics, and that’s exactly what I was planning to discuss next. In fact, our team at ComingSoon has just previewed a one-shot where Jay and Silent Bob are joining forces with Archie. I can hardly contain my excitement about it! Could you share some insights about this project and how it continues the Jay and Silent Bob story through the comic medium? I’m really looking forward to diving in!

To put it straight from the heart without any exaggeration or sales pitch, this piece I’ve crafted stands among my all-time favorites I’ve ever produced in my creative journey. I never saw it coming! A comrade of mine, Jeremy, casually mentioned a connection to Jesse at Archie Comics, suggesting a potential collaboration on a comic book. You can imagine my excitement when he mentioned Archie Comics – it’s a universe that has fascinated me since the iconic film “Chasing Amy” delved into its world of Archie, Jughead, and Mr. Weatherbee!

1) Archie Comics has been a staple in our culture for quite some time now. The character Dante from Clerks being torn between Caitlin and Veronica mirrors Archie’s struggle with Betty and Veronica. It’s an ongoing theme that’s been present for a long while. I recently chatted with someone named Jesse, who suggested we might do a collaboration. Given that I run Secret Stash Press at Dark Horse Comics, I responded enthusiastically, ‘Oh my goodness, definitely!’

To put it simply, following our chat, I promptly penned down the events, crafting a narrative that seamlessly connects to Clerks III. In this sequel, it’s revealed that Dante has passed away. Randal subsequently hires a new employee for Quick Stops, who turns out to be Archie Andrews from Riverdale, quite the commuter as he drives two hours to get to work. Since Dante is no longer around, Randal finds solace in Archie’s presence because Archie bears resemblances to Dante in certain aspects. Thus, Archie helps Randal cope with his loss.

Jay and Bob, the two characters, have a significant role in the storyline. They continue to run the marijuana store adjacent to their location. Their daughter, Milly, fits perfectly with the Archie Comics’ gang as they are all teenagers, while Jay, Silent Bob, and Randal fall into the category of being in their 50s. This narrative takes us to Riverdale, where we can attend a Josie and the Pussycats concert – one of my most cherished storylines I’ve ever created. So enamored was I that I shared with Jesse, “We need to do this at least once a year, man.” The upcoming tale featuring Jay and Jughead is eagerly anticipated. I am excited for readers to enjoy it!

He inquired about the desired artistic style, to which I responded, “They need to follow our signature style, make them resemble Archie Comics characters!” It’s set to release in July, and I’m absolutely thrilled about it. I can hardly wait for people to read it and appreciate how perfectly these two properties complement each other.

I plan on mentioning this point. It’s astonishing, really, that so many people are asking questions like, “Will Jay and Silent Bob sleep with Betty and Veronica?” I always have to remind them that these characters are teenagers, and their storyline has nothing to do with romance or sexual content. The language contains some explicit language, and there may be references to drugs, but the narrative is not focused on such topics.

That makes sense. I wouldn’t have thought of asking that question.

Yeah. Nobody wants to see that. But, apparently, lots of people have thoughts about it.

Thanks to Kevin Smith for discussing the rerelease of Dogma.

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2025-06-05 00:40