Kevin Smith’s Dogma, the 1999 fantasy-comedy that stirred up a storm with its irreverent take on Catholicism, is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a theatrical re-release starting June 5, 2025. The film, a star-studded romp featuring Ben Affleck and Matt Damon as fallen angels, has been touring with Smith across 20 cities, giving him plenty of time to reflect on its legacy. In a recent interview with Consequence on June 3, 2025, Smith revealed the one thing he’d change about his fourth film: he’d address the Catholic Church’s sex abuse scandals, a glaring omission that stands out to him now. “Every night when I watch it, that’s what’s missing,” he said, noting that the issue was only just emerging publicly when the film was made in 1998-99.
Dogma follows two angels, Loki (Damon) and Bartleby (Affleck), who exploit a loophole in Catholic dogma to return to Heaven, threatening existence itself. An abortion clinic worker, Bethany (Linda Fiorentino), teams up with prophets Jay and Silent Bob (Jason Mewes and Smith), the 13th apostle Rufus (Chris Rock), and muse Serendipity (Salma Hayek) to stop them. The film’s wild mix of crude humor, theological debates, and a cast including Alan Rickman and Alanis Morissette as God sparked both laughs and backlash, with 400,000 pieces of hate mail and three death threats, per Smith’s account to Entertainment Weekly.
Smith, a practicing Catholic at the time, crafted Dogma as a love letter to his faith, blending reverence with satire. The film’s opening disclaimer, urging viewers not to take it too seriously with a nod to the platypus, was a response to the intense pre-release protests. Smith told Consequence he now finds the lengthy text “cringey” and would streamline it, but he still loves its platypus joke, which “still gets giggles” on tour. The absence of the abuse scandal, however, feels like a missed chance to deepen the film’s critique of institutional flaws, especially given its focus on challenging religious dogma.
The film’s irreverence—like casting atheist George Carlin as a publicity-hungry Cardinal or suggesting Jesus was Black—drew ire from groups like the Catholic League, who called it blasphemous. Yet, Smith insisted to Entertainment Weekly in 1999, “If you view God as your friend, as I do… I’m allowed to make fun of my friends.” He even joined a protest incognito in New Jersey, holding a “Dogma is dogshit” sign, a stunt he later recounted to CNN (via Collider), highlighting the absurdity of the outrage over a movie with a rubber poop monster.
Fans on platforms like Reddit still adore Dogma for its heart and humor, with many calling it Smith’s deepest work, per Film Obsessive. Its unavailability on streaming—due to rights issues with Harvey Weinstein—made it a rare gem until recently, when Smith regained control, as he told The Hashtag Show. The re-release and a potential sequel, teased at Vulture Festival with Affleck and Damon expected to return, have fans buzzing.
Smith’s wish to address the abuse scandals reflects how Dogma’s themes of questioning authority remain relevant. While he’s proud of its enduring wit—“It plays pretty current,” he said—he sees the omission as a chance to make the film’s critique sharper, especially in today’s context. As Dogma returns to theaters, its blend of slacker comedy, theological depth, and that iconic platypus line continue to captivate, proving Smith’s vision still resonates.