History Main / ActionHeroBabysitter

* As WebVideo/TheNostalgiaCritic points out, this trend started with Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger going undercover in a kindergarten in ''Film/KindergartenCop''.

A typecast actor known for their macho action roles is cast in a movie where they play a tough guy ActionHero or macho guy type put in a position of responsibility for children. Sometimes this takes the form of a BadassAndChildDuo. This usually results in in a FishOutOfWater situation that is PlayedForLaughs as the macho manly man struggles to deal with new and unfamiliar problems that most family men would consider par for the course, such as dealing with a PottyEmergency, trying to cook meals, balancing work and family, and putting up with a MouthyKid. The macho man is forced to learn new skills, though he often finds creative ways to apply his action hero skills to a more domestic situation. Usually the children are bad or mischievous, and usually the "Action Hero" begins the movie "hating children" and gradually grows to love them over the course of the film.

* Jackie Chan in ''Film/TheSpyNextDoor''. Unusually for the trope, Jackie already has a child-friendly NiceGuy image.

* Creator/DaveBautista in ''My Spy'' is technically a subversion since he's already had a (partly) comedic role in MCU movies like ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy2014''.

To qualify as this trope, the casting is as important as the plot. A primary factor in this trope is to see the actor in an unusual (for them) and often humorous situation. The specific details of the character are often less important than just the fact that they are a badass or ActionHero, because that is what the actor invariably plays. This is similar to PlayingAgainstType, but instead of having the actor play someone unlike what they normally play, they play their regular character type but in an unusual situation. However, while the bulk of the movie will focus on domestic hijinks, there will often be at least a few action scenes, especially at the conclusion of the movie.

* ''Literature/ErHaHeTaDeBaiMaoShiZun'': Chu Wanning has a qi deviation that causes him to physically revert in to age six. The sect superiors entrust his child self to his love interest Mo Ran. Chu Wanning has not mentally reversed though and still has his badass skills and ChronicHeroSyndrome. Mo Ran ends up dragged into all sorts of shenanigans.

* ''Film/TwinSitters'' is a two-for-one deal. The twin Paul brothers (aka Barbarian Brothers) act as babysitters for some bratty kids. HilarityEnsues.

* In ''LightNovel/ShonenOnmyouji'', Gurren, the most feared of Abe no Seimeis 12 familiars, is shown to have taken care of Masahiro when he was a child.

* Creator/DaveBautista in ''My Spy'' is technically a subversion since he's already had a (partly) comedic role in MCU movies like ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy''.

* Literature/ErHaHeTaDeBaiMaoShiZun Chu Wanning has a qi deviation that causes him to physically revert in to age six. The sect superiors entrust his child self to his love interest Mo Ran. Chu Wanning has not mentally reversed though and still has his badass skills and ChronicHeroSyndrome. Mo Ran ends up dragged into all sorts of shenanigans.

[[folder: Web Comics]]
* ''WebComic/ManlyGuysDoingManlyThings'': Commander Badass is an in-universe example, being a former SuperSoldier and (mostly) AmicablyDivorced father of two young children. He's probably better at looking after them (and being a ParentalSubstitute to Jared the intern) than he was at being an action hero, but it's implied by some flashback panels that this was a long learning process.

* ‘’Film/TwinSitters’’ is a two-for-one deal. The twin Paul brothers (aka Barbarian Brothers) act as babysitters for some bratty kids. HilarityEnsues.

* ''Film/TheCowboys'' with Creator/JohnWayne has elements of this as his character is forced to learn how to deal with children he must use on a cattle drive ([[spoiler: but also somewhat subverts this trope when John Wayne's character is killed and the kids learn to kill in order to avenge his death and recover the stolen cattle]]).

* ''Mr Nanny'', with Wrestling/HulkHogan as a former [[AdamWesting pro wrestler]] taking a job as a nanny/bodyguard to a couple of bratty kids.

* Wrestling/JohnCena in ''Playing With Fire''. He's the rugged and manly firefighter, they're the three kids that have to stay in the fire station until their parents are found.

* Commander Badass of ''WebComic/ManlyGuysDoingManlyThings'' is an in-universe example, being a former SuperSoldier and (mostly) AmicablyDivorced father of two young children. He's probably better at looking after them (and being a ParentalSubstitute to Jared the intern) than he was at being an action hero, but it's implied by some flashback panels that this was a long learning process.

* In one filler episode Zoro from ''Manga/OnePiece'' is forced to take care of some babies after being forcibly adopted into a family that takes in kids with no home.
* What Sanzo thinks he's become in the Burial arc of ''Manga/{{Saiyuki}}'' before he visits the three aspects and realizes Goku isn't just some little kid who was stuck in a cave.

* In the first part of ''VideoGame/FireEmblemGenealogyOfTheHolyWar'', Finn was introduced as the disciple of Duke Quan. In the second part and in ''VideoGame/FireEmblemThracia776'', he is the caretaker of Quan's son Leif and Lady Lachesis's daughter Nanna [[spoiler: who, depending on the player's actions, can ''actually'' be Finn's biological daughter]]. Oifey and Shanan, who were respectively the NonActionGuy and TagalongKid in the first part of ''Geneaology'', have also become this by the time the second part begins.

[[quoteright:300:[[Film/ThePacifier https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the_pacifier_2.png]]]]

* ''Film/KindergartenCop'' with Arnold as a cop going undercover in a kindergarten. HilarityEnsues.

* ''WebOriginal/HowToHero'' mentions babysitters who are secretly superheroes. The Guide advises them to stay with the children they're supposed to be watching and fighting crime some other time.