In celebration of Father’s Day, I decided to rank the top five superdads in comic book movie history below.
5. Odin. One could argue that the father of the second most powerful Avenger (Hulk being #1) should be ranked higher on this list because he is a god, ya know? But based on his relative obscurity outside of die-hard comic book fan circles until the cinematic release of Thor (2011), Odin (portrayed magnificently by respected thespian Anthony Hopkins) comes in at #5. He may be the most powerful dad on the list, but he’s not its most popular.
4. Scott Lang. Like the aforementioned King of Asgard above, Lang has only recently gained traction with the moviegoing masses in 2015, when the surprise hit Ant-Man hit theaters. The hysterical Paul Rudd put his signature comic talents on display when he portrayed the “non-Hank Pym” version of the world’s tiniest superhero. But it’s Lang’s touching scenes with his daughter Cassie that really stuck with audiences around the world.
3. Howard Stark. Notice a trend? From Odin to Scott Lang and now to Iron Man’s dad, it’s clear that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has helped popularize important fathers from comic book lore. Without Howard Stark’s brilliance and billions, there would be no Tony Stark nor an Iron Man for that matter. He’s arguably the most influence dad in Marvel history – helping found the Avengers as well as providing the literal DNA for one of its longstanding alpha members.
2. Thomas Wayne. For a superhero as popular as Batman (Bruce Wayne), his brilliant, billionaire father has often been overlooked. In fact, he (and his wife Martha) is most often remembered as the victim of the most infamous robbery/murder in comic book movie history. But he’s much, much more than that. Besides being the father of the Dark Knight as well as the company he inherited, Wayne Enterprises, Thomas Wayne was one of the greatest surgeons and richest men in Gotham until the time of his tragic death.
1. Jor-El. Last and certainly not least, I’d be remiss if I did not include the man who epitomizes the word super. He was super smart (perhaps the smartest man on Krypton). He was super visionary (in sending his son Kal-El to Earth when he knew his planet was about to die). And he wore the S on his chest long before his son donned it on our planet. Yeah, he was literally Superdad.
I’d again like to thank my dad for taking me and my siblings to see Star Wars and Superman as children many moons ago. If he hadn’t done so, this blog would not exist.
HAPPY FATHER’S DAY to all of the Superdads out there protecting the world!
