In the world of filmography, multiple characters have daddy issues. Marvel characters, Disney characters… it’s a frighteningly common issue in movies. Some are angry at the way their fathers raised them. Others defiantly convinced that they do not need their father. Others are seeking to fill a hole from a lost father. But finding healing in father issues is the driving force for a countless number of movies.
Guardians of the Galaxy is one of those. Peter Quill comes across a man who he finds out is his father. His father is excited to find him and shares all of these wonderful secrets and opportunities with him, convinced that the two of them can now rule the world.
The thing about father issues is those issues don’t go away with empty promises. The reason that father issues are so commonly seen in movies is because our fathers determine a lot of who we become. They are meant to give us confidence, direction, and identity. They are meant to instill courage and faith in us as children, and for those who have tried to grow up without their fathers, they are left with a hole they try to fill with abilities, impressive acts, and tough exteriors. But those issues don’t go away with empty promises from strangers.
*Spoiler Alert* As Guardians progresses, it is made clear that Quill’s father does have big plans, but also has very dark plans with a history of destruction and death for those who do not comply. (For someone named “Ego,” he probably should’ve seen that coming.) His friends have to work out a plan to try to save him. But he is only saved when his father-figure Yondu, the one who raised him most of his life and kept him from being sacrificed earlier, saves his life.
For those with father issues, sometimes we give too much credit to the position of “father” and not nearly enough credit to those who have actually stood by us and encouraged us our whole lives. That’s exactly what Yondu proves to Quill. Most of the time, our family doesn’t look exactly the way we wanted or expected. But if we pay attention to what we have been given, we will realize that that is really all we ever needed.
And as far as identity issues, no good identity will come from pretending they don’t matter or working harder to prove ourselves. Thankfully, we have an option for a father who has no imperfections and thinks the world of us, whether we go along with his plans or not! God the Father loved us from before we even existed. He created us in his own image, meaning we would be just as creative, loving, and wise as he is. Also, He planned to give us both an unshakable confidence and a great direction. And more than that, He promises to walk with us with everything we do. He’s the greatest father we could imagine, and the one we don’t even deserve. That’s a father worth following any day.