Less Doctor Strange and more Dr. Robby.
That’s what Gen Alpha and Gen Z want to see onscreen, according to the most recent “Teens & Screens” survey from the Center for Scholars & Storytellers at UCLA.
The annual report found that kids and young adults ages 10-24 prefer to see onscreen portrayals of “fathers enjoying parenting” or “fathers showing love to kids” by a 5 to 1 margin vs. those who wanted to see less of those dynamics.
“Young people are not just asking for better dads; they are asking for a reimagining of how men show up in the lives of others. Whether it is a father, mentor, coach, or teacher, the message from the audience was the same,” according to the report’s authors.
For years, creators and executives have “operated under the assumption that young male audiences prefer, or at least expect, stoic, independent male heroes.” Thus, the glut of superhero films centered around one lone warrior (or a group of such people) saving the entire world. The Teens & Screens survey indicates otherwise.
Among the portrayals singled out by the study’s authors is Noah Wyle’s portrayal of Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch in HBO Max’s hit series The Pitt. Dr. Robby is a flawed, very human mentor to the trainees at Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center’s emergency room.
“For decades, media has relied on the ‘stoic provider’ or the ‘distant hero’ as the default for adult men,’ per the report. “Our data shows that by primarily showing men in positions of power or physical strength, we ignore the roles that young people value, defined by empathy, patience, and emotional availability.”
The 2025 Teens & Screens survey was fielded in August 2025 and engaged 1,500 adolescents (ages 10–24) across the United States.