DC's live-action universe has had a fascinating journey. Full of ups and downs, DC attempted to create a shared universe to compete with the behemoth MCU. Unfortunately the results have been mixed, with Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman being the only critical success thus far. But that doesn't mean every aspect of the DCEU is bad. One of the most divisive aspects has been Ben Affleck's characterization of Bruce Wayne/Batman. Affleck brought a jaded and hardened version of the Dark Knight to Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, one who has no qualms about killing criminals. Many comics fans took umbrage with this change in the character's code, while others thought Affleck's performance was BvS' most redeeming factor. Director and comic book aficionado Kevin Smith is in the latter camp, and recently defended his Dogma collaborator, saying: