‘Across the Spider-Verse,’ ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,’ and ‘Ted Lasso’ are trailblazing a trend that must continue

There isn’t much films and shows like Ted Lasso, Wakanda Forever, and Across the Spider-Verse have in common, but they share qualities in one vital area.

Each of the three recent releases proudly boast one of the most ignored character traits in cinema, as they unabashedly elevate positive masculinity within vital, central characters.

For decades now, the one shining example of positive masculinity in popular media has been touted by nearly everyone, as viewers urge more filmmakers to look to The Lord of the Rings as precedent. The film trilogy boasts a number of wonderfully positive characters that tout wholesome masculinity in their every decision, and additions like Aragorn continue to be shining examples of the practice to this day.

But, finally, after literal decades of waiting, he’s not alone. Aragorn, and his Lord of the Rings peers, has finally been joined by a growing number of new recruits, and nearly all of them have cropped up over the last few years. A recent tweet brings attention to this phenomenon, and in the process ardently urges filmmakers to take note, and maintain the trend of positive masculinity in media.

Characters like Ted Lasso, Miles’ father Jefferson Davis, Wakanda Forever‘s M’Baku, and of course Peter Parker all provide examples of the kind of men we should be raising. While the characters couldn’t be more different, they’re all powerful but supportive, kind, intelligent, and in general beacons of what we should be teaching young men to aspire to.

This is exceedingly rare in the world of cinema, which typically touts far more toxic trait among its leading men. We’ve gotten plenty of John McClanes, Ross Gellars, and god forbid Joe Goldbergs over the years, its about damn time we made room for the positive kings.

In the comment section below @TheFirstOkiro’s tweet, readers shared a slew of additional examples of wholesome and beneficial male role models that slipped past the censors over the years. Aragorn continues to be the poster child of the trend, but he’s increasingly joined by the likes of T’Challa, Luke Cage, Waymond Wang, Optimus Prime, and Hal Wilkerson. Each of these characters manages to deliver a very different kind of masculinity, and one that’s been absent from the world of cinema for far too long.

Its time to change that, and releases like Ted Lasso and Across the Spider-Verse could easily be the tip of the iceberg, so long as we encourage filmmakers to keep one eye on the emerging trend, and make it into a new cinematic constant.