14 Action Heroes Who Took Being A Dad To The Next Level

Arnold Schwarzenegger is no stranger to dad vibes throughout his career as one of Hollywood's most prolific action heroes. However, his turn as former Black Ops maestro John Matrix in Commando might be the peak of his powers.

Mercenaries hunt down Matrix's former platoon, then kidnap his daughter for good measure. This proves to be the worst decision they make in their lives, as Matrix grabs every weapon under the sun - along with those massive guns on his arms - and rages a war against them to get back his baby girl.

There are foolish bad guys, then there are exceptionally moronic bad guys, like those in Taken. Who in their right mind would kidnap the daughter of a former CIA operative famed for his incredibly deadly skills?

When Bryan Mills's daughter, Kim, is abducted by a human trafficking ring, he warns the villains of what will happen if they don't let her go in one of the most infamous monologues from any film. Instead, they ignore him, forcing him to utilize his “particular set of skills” to hunt them down. Let's just say Mills isn't exaggerating about what he's capable of, and these fools picked the wrong action daddy to mess with.

The role of a dad requires stepping in when their kids get into trouble, and that's exactly what former DEA agent Phil Broker does in Homefront. When his daughter, Maddy, gets into a fight with a school bully, Broker defends her. Unfortunately, this provokes the bully's relatives, who discover Broker was responsible for a major drug bust. 

Though Broker attempts to make peace for the sake of his family, it's too late: allies of drug dealers have been tipped off that Broker was responsible for the bust and come after him and Maddy for revenge. At that point, Broker takes the gloves off and ferociously fights everyone standing between him and his daughter's safety. 

Death Wish is the ultimate vigilante story. Paul Kersey is a down-to-earth family man who cares deeply about his wife and daughter. One fateful evening, they're attacked by robbers, resulting in Paul's wife passing away and his daughter becoming so shaken up she requires care at a mental institution.

Distraught and disillusioned, Paul turns his attention toward the street criminals who prey on innocent people. He becomes a feared vigilante, gunning down crooks as a way to process the grief and satisfy his bloodlust. Unfortunately, his daughter's fate is sealed in the sequel as another tragic attack results in her death. Paul sets off down an even more violent path, refusing to stop fighting for his daughter even when she's gone. 

Imagine a world where a father must keep young children quiet in order to keep them alive. That's the predicament Lee Abbott finds himself in during A Quiet Place. His family must navigate this new world where monsters with sensitive hearing appear if anyone dares to clear their throat or even sneeze.

Naturally, his kids don't always do what he tells them to, so he has to keep saving their hides after each tiny noise sets monsters on their trail. After a brave journey, he proves his undying love for his family by screaming out and drawing attention to himself, sacrificing his life for them to escape from the monsters. Abbott certainly goes above and beyond the normal responsibility of a father keeping his children calm.

Only in a Michael Bay movie would an oil driller be sent into space to save the whole planet, but no one can argue with the thrilling story it creates in Armageddon. Harry Stamper is a tough-as-nails dad who loves his daughter, Grace, though he doesn't approve of her relationship with his employee A.J. When NASA needs to drill a hole into an asteroid to save Earth, Harry is called in for his expertise and he assembles his team, including A.J., to go into space and get the job done.

Of course, events don't go as planned, and Harry ends up sacrificing his life to save the planet, as well as Grace. Before he passes, though, he gives his blessing for her and A.J. to be together, because that's what heroes do.