History ParentalSubstitute / LiveActionFilms

* ''Film/{{Mermaids}}'': Lou slowly starts growing into a surrogate father for both Flax girls, particularly Kate (whose real fathers are absent). Rachel resents it, feeling jealousy and thinking he's doing this solely to get close with her.

** This is also a major part of the plot of ''Film/{{Spectre}}'', where, years before the events of the film, it's revealed that [[spoiler:Hannes Oberhauser, the BigBad's father, acted as a substitute parent for 007 after he [[ParentalAbandonment lost his real parents in a climbing accident]] in the French Alps. Hannes begins [[LikeASonToMe to treat 007 as a second son]], but it also causes Franz Oberhauser to be [[TheResenter resentful and]] [[DrivenByEnvy envious]] of the attention Bond is receiving. Because of this, Franz commits {{Patricide}} out of pure malice in a staged avalanche, and later on, [[Film/CasinoRoyale2006 goes on to menace]] [[Film/QuantumOfSolace Bond's life in various]] [[Film/{{Skyfall}} ways possible]] [[Film/{{Spectre}} in later years]]. Hence the reason why Oberhauser, now calling himself Ernst Stavro Blofeld, has a [[CainAndAbel totally dysfunctional relationship]] with his foster brother.]]

* Rocky Baloba becomes this to Adonis Johnson Creed in ''Film/{{Creed}}'', the son of his former rival Apollo Creed.

* Aunt Lucy and Uncle Pastuzo are this to ''Film/{{Paddington}}'' having raised him since his parents died, before the Browns take on the role.

* ''Film/CloakAndDagger'' features super-spy Jack Flack, an [[ImaginaryFriend imaginary mentor]] who amazingly enough looks like Davey Osborne's real dad.

* ''{{Film/Margarita}}'': Margarita is more of a parent to Mila than her actual parents since both are very focused on their careers. They hired her to be their nanny as a result. Mila is far closer to Margarita than either of them, pointedly [[CallingParentsByTheirName calling both by their first names]] and not "Mom" or "Dad".

* In ''Film/JurassicWorldFallenKingdom'', Owen and Claire develop strong parental feelings towards Maisie as they try to escape from the Lockwood mansion, a feeling that Maisie seems to reciprocate, given that her only living family member is dead at this point. Following their escape, they've taken her under their care and have essentially adopted her.

** Obadiah Stane acted as a father figure to Tony Stark aka ''Film/IronMan'' after his parents died in a "car crash", giving him advice and support... [[spoiler: so it was all the more shocking for Tony when it turned out Obadiah had paid terrorists to kill him in Afghanistan and was pretending to a NiceGuy just to seize Stark Industries]].

** ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy'': [[NobleDemon Yondu Udonta]] adopted Peter Quill instead of handing him over to [[spoiler:his biological father]], who Yondu calls a jackass. And despite his trollish behavior, Yondu admits that he's glad he adopted Peter and does genuinely care for him... in his own bizarre way. This comes to a head in [[Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol2 the second film]], when it turns out the real reason Yondu kept Peter around all those years was [[spoiler: to keep him safe from his father]]. We see a brief flashback of Yondu teaching him to shoot, and Peter belatedly realizes that Yondu is exactly the ActionDad he always dreamed of before he was abducted.

* ''Film/TransformersFilmSeries''
** Optimus Prime is implied to have this relationship with Bumblebee, notably in Film/TransformersAgeOfExtinction when Cade is reflecting on parenting his daughter and the difficulties he is experiencing Optimus notes having gone through similar things with Bumblebee.

** ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy'': [[NobleDemon Yondu]] [[OneManArmy Udonta]] adopted Peter Quill instead of handing him over to [[spoiler:his biological father]], who Yondu calls a jackass. And despite his trollish behavior, Yondu admits that he's glad he adopted Peter and does genuinely care for him... in his own bizarre way. This comes to a head in [[Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol2 the second film]], when it turns out the real reason Yondu kept Peter around all those years was [[spoiler: to keep him safe from his father]]. We see a brief flashback of Yondu teaching him to shoot, and Peter belatedly realizes that Yondu is exactly the ActionDad he always dreamed of before he was abducted.

* In ''Film/StVincent2014'',Vincent becomes a father-figure to Oliver, whose own father isn't exactly a nice guy.

* ''Film/BedtimeStories'': Bobbi and Patrick's dad has left the family (why or where to isn't explained). At one point Bobbi plaintively asks if he'll ever come back, at which Skeeter says he doesn't know, but that their mom will always be there for them both (along with him).

* The ''Film/Stake Land'' films find the vampire hunter, Mister, taking the orphaned teenager, Martin, under his wing as they travel through a post-apocalyptic America. Mister is gruff and surly but ultimately devoted to caring for his young charge, teaching how to survive in their new world and doing his best to ensure teenager's safety.