Why We Love Popular Father Figures In Movies, Books, And TV Shows So Much

The media we consume has a deep effect on us. The movies and TV shows we watch and the books we read shape what we think and how we feel about the world we live in, offering us a grid of understanding for our own life and a place to engage and wrestle with our deepest worries, our daily struggles, and our biggest hopes.

But they don’t just affect what we think—they also reflect what we already innately desire. The most popular movies, TV shows, and books gain their traction because they strike the right chord with enough people. They offer a peek into what we truly think, feel, and hope for. And what’s one aspect of popular entertainment that’s worth exploring? The father figure.

Some of Our Favorite Father Figures in Entertainment

The Witcher, first a wildly popular fantasy video game and then a Netflix show, depicts Geralt, a brooding, rough, masculine warrior who takes in Princess Ciri, a young, precocious, brave orphan, acting as her protective, loving father. 

The Last of Us, also a video game that was developed into a TV show, tells the story of Joel, a stoic, strong man who sadly lost his beloved daughter, and who takes in Ellie, a witty, curious, caring young girl as they navigate a post-apocalyptic world ravaged by a fungal outbreak. 

Marvel’s Tony Stark (Iron Man) starts off as an immature playboy in need of some humbling, but he eventually becomes a father figure to Peter Parker (Spiderman), a young, curious, fatherless teenager in need of guidance as he takes on his hero role.

Harry Potter’s Sirius Black started off as Harry’s godfather, but he became so much more than that throughout the series, as he cares for Harry like his own son, even to the detriment of his own safety.

The Mandalorian’s Mando, a resourceful, resilient, intelligent warrior takes in and cares for the adorable “Baby Yoda,” whose real name is Grogu. 

Stranger Things depicts Hopper, a man who tragically lost his daughter, acting as a surrogate father to Eleven, a courageous but withdrawn young girl with superpowers that no one else saw as a child in need of care. 

A Gentleman in Moscow, a bestselling historical fiction novel, tells the story of Count Rostov, a Russian aristocrat who is placed under house arrest for life at a hotel, who meets Nina, a young girl also living at the hotel to whom he becomes a father figure; later, he finds purpose and fulfillment in raising Nina’s daughter, Sofia. 

Why Are These Father Figures So Important?

These are just a few of our favorite examples, but good, strong father figures in film, TV, and books aren’t hard to find. Of course, the male characters that are cast as surrogate fathers vary widely, from a warrior to a small-town cop to a wizard to a billionaire inventor. Some of them are introverted, and others extroverted. Some might be goofy from time to time, and others remain serious and stoic. And yet, there are a few things these men all have in common.

These father figure characters are brave, strong, trustworthy, caring, resourceful, selfless, wise, protective, loyal, and masculine. In a culture that often sees men (and masculinity) as inherently toxic, each of these characters offers us an image of true masculinity in the most noble, respectable, positive sense of the word. They show us what a good man looks like – and it turns out, none of us can get enough of that kind of man.

Why Do We Love These Father Figures?

The father figures in movies, TV shows, and books are widely beloved. So much so that actor Pedro Pascal (who portrays both Joel in HBO Max’s The Last of Us and Mando in The Mandalorian) has been dubbed “the internet’s daddy,” with his fanbase growing exponentially over the last couple of years. It’s obvious that viewers adore these father figures (and even the actors that play them), but why?

They speak to a deeper, hidden desire we all have, which never goes away: a father to guide, love, and protect us.

Our attachment to father figure characters can be boiled down to one reality: We each deeply desire, and even need, a father like that in our own life, whether or not we consciously know it. Individuals who grew up with present fathers are less likely to drop out of school or go to jail, but the benefits don’t stop there. Those who were close to their father will grow up to have healthier relationships, higher IQs, and better-paying jobs. And not having this kind of relationship with our father doesn’t mean we ever stop needing it.

These father figures aren’t just popular because the relationships they have with their adopted children are sweet. They’re popular because they speak to a deeper, hidden desire that we each have that never goes away: a father to guide us, love us, and protect us, who is a secure, strong, and stable influence. We all long for a grounding masculine presence that comforts us and keeps us safe from harm – no matter how old we are – and yet never turns romantic.

A major part of the appeal of Geralt, Joel, Count Rostov, and the like is that they aren’t searching for romantic fulfillment from the young women they take in. They have no ulterior motives, nothing they’re hoping to get in return. Their adopted children are simply safe and cared for with them. In a world where young women often feel pressured into “returning a favor,” so to speak, there’s nothing more refreshing, wholesome, and beautiful than a close bond forming between an older man and a young woman without those kinds of expectations.

Closing Thoughts

Portraying healthy masculinity through these beloved father figures in entertainment is incredibly important. We all need that kind of figure in our own life, whether with our own father, or with someone who’s like a father to us. Either way, though, we’ll always have Joel Miller.

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