On-Screen Dads We Love

In celebration of Father’s Day, we reflect on some of our favourite on-screen dads through the years, icons who have taught us varying lessons about what it means to be a superhero father. These are the characters who have made us laugh with their silly antics, cry with their selfless acts, and cringe with their relatable failures. Who knows, reading this list might help you see some of your father’s admirable qualities!

A villain who trains his kids as assassins to avenge his wife’s murder, Wenwu from Shang-Chi might not exactly be a role-model father. Although his attempts are misinformed, the reasons behind his violence are hard not to sympathise with - all he wants is to be reunited with his loved one. After all, Wenwu sacrificed his life to save Shang-Chi from the Dweller-in-Darkness, . Hopefully, this is proof he realised the error of his ways before he passed. We also can’t help but love any character that Tony Leung plays, TBH.

Doting fathers to their adopted Vietnamese baby Lily, Cameron and Mitchell are polar opposites. One is an outgoing “farm boy” with a flair for the dramatic, while the other is a Type A lawyer who can be a bit quick to judge. Like any parents, they can sometimes be embarrassing, but they always try their best to understand their little girl - even when she grows into a snarky, thrash metal-loving tween.

Despite being “not very funny for a clownfish” Marlin is one of animation’s best-loved fathers. After his wife and all but one of his children pass away in a barracuda attack, Marlin becomes fiercely overprotective of his son Nemo, worrying that he cannot swim well due to his small right fin. When Nemo gets kidnapped by divers, Marlin demonstrates great courage, traversing through the Great Barrier Reef to find him.

Few men would go to the lengths that Daniel Hilliard did to spend time with his children. After the court grants sole custody of his children to his ex-wife Miranda, he dons a prosthetic mask, dresses up as an elderly British woman, and uses his voice acting skills to pose as “Mrs. Doubtfire”.

Lost and Love depicts Andy Lau’s Lei Zekuan, who embarks on a 14-year search to find his missing son, traveling across China on his beat-up motorcycle with banners bearing his son’s face. Along the way, he meets Zeng Shuai, a mechanic who was kidnapped as a child and sold to another family. The two journey together to find their families and eventually form a makeshift father-son relationship, showing that fatherly love can be passed on to form hopeful new bonds even in dark times. What’s more, the 2015 movie was inspired by the true story of Guo Gangtang, who got his happy ending in 2021 when he was finally reunited with his son after a 24-year search.

Inspired by these on-screen dads? Shop Father’s Day gifts to shower your favourite guy with some love.