Superheroes save the world time and time again, and we’re forever grateful for them. It’s a tough job with a lot of responsibility, but many of our favorites in the MCU have the biggest task of all: being a dad. We here at BGN want to highlight some of our favorite daddies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
King T’Chaka
Father to T’Challa (Black Panther), T’Chaka (John Kani) was a significant influence on his son through his strong leadership skills and his unwavering desire to maintain peace. It can be said that the love and admiration we have for the Black Panther character stems directly from his parenting skills, as he consistently prepared T’Challa to take over as king and shared all of his wisdom. While it is tragic that we won’t get to see more of him after his tragic loss in Captain America: Civil War, his legacy was carried on beautifully through Chadwick Boseman’s portrayal of T’Challa.
Clint Barton (Hawkeye)
He wasn’t hiding his family from the world, he was hiding the world from his family. Clint Barton, or Hawkeye, took the approach that many heroes struggle with: He kept his family out of the public eye to protect them as best he could. In Avengers: Age of Ultron, it was revealed that he had a family that includes a wife (former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Laura Barton) and three kids. Hawkeye is a great dad because he proved that, while superhero duties are important, ensuring the safety of your loved ones is a top priority. Barton also developed a father-daughter type relationship with Kate Bishop in the Hawkeye series as well.
Howard Stark
Although he was often seen as strict or firm with little emotion, it was always very clear how much Howard Stark loved his son. It was such a beautiful moment in Avengers: End Game where Tony goes back in time and meets his dad without revealing his identity. It brought up the question of how we would react or what we would say if we could meet our parents in the past. Another heartfelt dad moment comes from Iron Man 2 when Tony is going through old tapes and stumbles across one where Howard has left a message for him. “I’m limited by the technology of my time. But one day you’ll figure this out. And when you do, you will change the world. What is and always will be my greatest creation is you.” I’m not crying, you’re crying.
Scott Lang (Ant-Man)
If there were ever an award for best dad, it’s quite possible that it would be a unanimous decision to give Scott Lang that title. Before we knew him as Ant-Man, we were introduced to him as a father trying to better himself as he constantly prioritized his daughter, Cassie. We did get to see them team up together as a father-daughter duo in 2023’s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. While there were several tear-jerkers in Avengers: End Game, Scott seeing Cassie as a teenager definitely hit different. Nonetheless, it’s important to note that Lang becoming Ant-Man is a direct correlation to him wanting to become a better father. He was motivated to take Hank Pym’s offer, and the rest is history.
Tony Stark (Iron Man)
This one goes without saying, as it gave us one of the most memorable lines from the entire MCU. Folks were saying “I love you 3000!” for many months after Tony Stark’s daughter, Morgan, told him these words before going to bed. We knew he didn’t truly understand his dad’s intentions at the time, but when he became a dad himself, a lot became clear to him. It was quite the character arc to see Stark go from Iron Man, the billionaire playboy, to loving husband and father, but his journey was a joy to watch. Seeing the few moments we got of him being dad made his death all the more sad, as it would have been great to see how he would have gone on to raise her.
Alexei Shostakov (Red Guardian)
The adoptive father to our favorite superhero sisters, Yelena Belova and Natasha Romanoff, Alexei Shostakov has shown that he always puts family first. He raised two extremely tough girls who are ready to take on the world at any given time. Seeing the family dynamic in Black Widow revealed that Alexei wasn’t always present as he spent time working in Russian government. Despite that, he was the only father figure the girls knew, and ultimately, that bond was repaired. After the tragic loss of Natasha, we see Yelena and Alexei have a vulnerable moment of grieving and pain in an emotional scene in last month’s Thunderbolts* (or New Avengers, depending on when you saw it).
Yondu
Although not his biological father (that would be Ego), Yondu Udonta had a great bond with Peter Quill. While he was scared of him growing up, Yondu was always concerned with protecting him from threats in the galaxy. I think many of us saw Yondu and Star-Lord more of teammates rather than a father-son. After sacrificing himself to save Quill in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, he gave us some of the most famous last words: “He may have been your father, boy, but he wasn’t your daddy. I’m sorry I didn’t do none of it right. I’m damn lucky you’re my boy.”
Phastos
Phastos, played by Brian Tyree Henry in Eternals, started a family with his husband, Ben, making one of the few openly gay couples in the MCU. One thing that makes Phastos a great dad is that he is proud of his decision to begin a family, despite his supernatural qualities. He provided an environment where his son could lead a normal childhood, something that is very hard to achieve when you’re an Eternal (or any superhero for that matter).