A new “Teens & Screens” survey from UCLA’s Center for Scholars & Storytellers found that Gen Alpha and Gen Z are less interested in stoic, lone-wolf superhero archetypes and more interested in what the study calls “connected masculinity.”
Young audiences want to see more fathers enjoying parenting. More men showing love to their kids. More mentors, coaches, teachers, and flawed men who are emotionally available. They’re asking for a reimagining of how men show up in the lives of others.
For decades, we’ve defaulted to the distant hero. The strong, silent provider. The man who saves the world but can’t articulate how he feels about his son. The lone warrior archetype.
But the data suggests younger viewers are craving something different. As screenwriters, this matters. You’re not just writing for your peers. If you want a long-term career, you’re building audiences who will follow your work for years. And younger generations are shaping what resonates now and what will age well later. It’s not about abandoning action or heroism. It’s about expanding what masculinity looks like on screen.
Full article here: https://deadline.com/2026/02/teens-masculinity-onscreen-survey-1236735260/
What recent male character felt fresh or resonant to you?
And how are you evolving your own writing to reflect changing audience expectations?
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Okay, this is probably going to seem like a weird string of associations, but bear with me.
The first concrete example that came to mind was . . . Digimon, specifically Adventure. Sora's "Birdramon, I love you!" Joe's "You're just a kid. I'm responsible for you." as he slips into the water so T.K. can stay afloat on Ikakkumon. Davis crying out "Veemon, you're my frieeend!" in the following series.
Now, yes, these are all kids. Preteens, in fact. But characters don't stop having emotional reactions, and developments, as they grow up and age, because people don't. Or rather, shouldn't, if they're processing the events in their lives properly. So, just like these kids are openly showing how they feel, and relate to each other, so should adults, in the stories we create.
For that matter, despite Dr. Strange being used as an example, in his opening movie, "Pain's an old friend.", and generally joining the community of sorcerers. Steve Rogers, fighting Tony Stark for the sake of his friend Bucky. "I love you three thousand." from Stark himself, openly wounded by Howard's distance in his childhood. Hawkeye is a dedicated father and husband. So is Ant-Man.
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So basically, in future, male characters need to be human beings. Who knew?
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Ashley Renée Smith I'm impressed with that paradigm shift. It'll shape how the world understands the hero's personality and reflects a more realistic portrayal of men; more real than what we've typically seen.
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Ashley Renée Smith
For years, characters like Doctor Strange embodied that hyper-competent, emotionally guarded archetype. Impressive, powerful but often internally isolated.
What’s interesting about someone like Dr. Robby is that strength isn’t diminished by vulnerability it’s deepened by it. Emotional availability becomes part of the character’s authority, not a weakness.
In my own writing, I’ve been more conscious about layering male protagonists with relational stakes not just external conflict. Heroism still matters, but how a man shows up for others is becoming just as dramatically compelling as how he conquers obstacles.
Audiences evolve. Archetypes have to evolve with them
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Ashley, thanks so very much for the heads-up...a much-needed message!
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Ashley Renée Smith I am that ‘flawed man’!! ;-)
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Very interesting info Ashley Renée Smith , thanks for sharing!!
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Hi Ashley,
I read your article on “connected masculinity” and the changing expectations of Gen Z and Gen Alpha audiences. I was very impressed. As a screenwriter, I always think that humans are flawed and emotionally vulnerable.
In the projects I'm currently working on, I'm exploring fathers, mentors, and male characters who reveal their love and vulnerability; I'm telling the story of how relationships shape us. Watch Young Adults
I'd love to hear your thoughts — which male character you've played recently has left you with a fresh or impactful feeling? And how are you reflecting this shift in your own projects?
I eagerly await your reply.
Sincerely,
Şeref Şaşmaz
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Really interesting and timely post! Thanks, Ashley!
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Timmy Hunter-Kilmer, I love this “string of associations,” honestly. You’re absolutely right that emotional honesty shouldn’t disappear once characters grow up. If anything, it should deepen.
You’re right that “I love you 3000” became iconic precisely because it broke through that stoic armor. But that emotional growth in Tony Stark was an evolution that took three Iron Man films, two Avengers films, Civil War, and Spider-Man. His relationship with Peter was really a lynchpin in that maturity into becoming a father figure. The MCU was lucky to have the time, finances, and other resources required for such a long evolution. Hawkeye is another great example. He ultimately becomes a strong depiction of a family-oriented hero balancing duty and fatherhood, but those deeper characteristics weren’t fully present in his earliest appearances. They developed over time.
Honestly, Scott Lang feels like a rare breath of fresh air in the superhero space. From the beginning, he’s defined by his love for his daughter and his desire to be a good dad. And Paul Rudd brings such warmth and emotional accessibility to that performance. He doesn’t feel like a man reluctantly softening. He feels like a man who leads with heart.
So maybe part of the conversation is about timing. In earlier eras, vulnerability often showed up as a late-stage character reward after proving toughness.
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I agree, Kenneth Arinze! If this paradigm shift continues, it could shape how the next generation defines leadership, partnership, and fatherhood. Storytelling has always quietly influenced cultural expectations. What do you think “more realistic” looks like on screen right now?
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Abhijeet Aade, this is such a sharp read on it. I love how you phrased that: strength isn’t diminished by vulnerability, it’s deepened by it. What’s refreshing about characters like Dr. Robby is that authority and emotional fluency coexist. His steadiness comes from connection, not detachment. I love that in the “quiet” moments on The Pitt, even though they’re quick, they’re always filled by Dr. Robby checking in on his staff around him. When they seem “off”, he picks it up quickly, addresses it, offers them the space to share their questions, concerns, or feelings, validates them, and then gives them tools or advice to quickly push forward. It’s refreshing to see a supervisor in such a high-stress environment who has been through his own traumas, lead with empathy and compassion even when he has to be hard on people.
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Hi Şeref Şaşmaz, thank you for such a thoughtful note. When I think about recent male characters who feel aligned with this idea of “connected masculinity,” a few stand out to me:
Dr. Robby in The Pitt is a strong example. He’s authoritative and competent, but his leadership is rooted in care.
Ted Lasso is another. He leads with optimism and vulnerability. He apologizes. He listens. He openly processes his mental health struggles. His power comes from emotional intelligence.
Chidi Anagonye in The Good Place is fascinating because he’s deeply intellectual but also openly anxious, conflicted, and emotionally transparent. He doesn’t fit the traditional “alpha” mold, yet he’s central, heroic in his own way, and profoundly human.
And arguably, Carmy Berzatto in The Bear is one of the most interesting examples. What makes Carmy so compelling is that he represents a young man raised in an environment where strength was modeled as silence, volatility, and emotional suppression. His journey isn’t about becoming tough, he already is. It’s about learning to unlearn that inherited stoicism. Learning to communicate. Learning to care for his own mental health. Learning that leadership doesn’t have to mirror the aggression he grew up around in his own family and other kitchens.
What resonates across all of these characters is that vulnerability isn’t presented as weakness or a late-stage transformation. It’s integrated into who they are, or into the growth they’re actively wrestling with as a primary narrative focus.
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One way to create more interesting and complex characters is to imagine them to be of the opposite gender. Or some other opposite (different age or whatever).
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Hello Ashley Renée Smith Thank you so much for your kind reply!
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Ashley, this really resonates.
I don’t think younger audiences are rejecting strength — they’re rejecting emotional isolation as the default version of strength.
For a long time, male protagonists were defined by what they could endure alone. Now it feels like they’re being defined by what they’re willing to share, protect, or nurture — not just physically, but emotionally.
Some of the most compelling male characters recently aren’t the ones who save the world. They’re the ones who show up — imperfectly, vulnerably — in someone else’s world.
In my own writing, I’m trying to shift the center of gravity from “stoic control” to relational responsibility. Not softer men — but more connected ones.
Curious where others see this evolving next.
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I'd push back on this a little. I don't think we need to "reimagine" anything. These portrayals have always been there, we just don't give them enough credit. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine gave us a successful Black single father raising his son in the 90s. Yes, it's sci-fi, but that still made an impression on me. Lethal Weapon is about a cop with a loving, supportive family welcoming his lone-wolf partner into it and teaching him how to love again. Even Heat, strip away the violence, and it's about male bonding at any cost. People cloud the action with a lack of emotional depth when it's actually right there.
Good Will Hunting. Mr. Miyagi in The Karate Kid. Jim's dad in American Pie. Mufasa in The Lion King. These aren't outliers. They're beloved, iconic characters.
I also get concerned when we start labeling types of masculinity. As Professor Scott Galloway put it, "There's no such thing as toxic masculinity. There's cruelty, criminality, bullying, predation, and abuse of power. If you're guilty of any of these, you're not masculine, you're anti-masculine." The conversation shouldn't be about redefining masculinity. It should be about recognizing these characters have always been there and making sure we keep telling those stories.
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Ugh.
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I'd say this is more society-driven than anything. A lot of kids are growing up without male role models in their lives. Men are leaving teaching. Fathers are becoming absent from their children. Film/TV has always provided a surrogate, and perhaps that's needed moreso now than ever.
It's also worth noting that the lone-wolf male lead has typically been presented as inherently broken. Mad Max embodied this trope in 1979. Loving dad loses everything and becomes emotionally barren.
Joshua Young sums it all up very well, with examples.