Father figures who are gone too soon: Sirius Black and Tony Stark examined

Pop culture faves can stay with us for quite some time and thinking about popular father figures, like Sirius Black and Tony Stark, almost feels like a punch to the gut.

Imagine scrolling through Twitter and suddenly seeing Harry Potter and Sirius Black in a photoset with Tony Stark and Peter Parker and realizing that you probably loved the dynamic in the Marvel Cinematic Universe because of Harry Potter. Or at least that’s what happened to me.

Here’s the thing: I love Sirius Black and Harry Potter with my whole heart and I have since I first read Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Now, flash forward to 2020, and I love Peter Parker and Tony Stark with my whole heart and I realized, in seeing that tweet, that it is because they are very similar. This isn’t really a fault of mine, they’re just characters that I enjoy but still, it is funny to me that I realized I love them both because they’re just these characters who need each other.

Harry needed someone to help him just like Peter needed guidance. Sirius Black needed a connection back to his best friend and found a son he never knew he wanted while Tony Stark found an outlet for his energy and found a son he…well, never knew he wanted. So in a lot of ways, it makes sense that fans of both these groups kind of morph into one. (Or again, at least that’s what happened for me.)

Will I constantly cry over both Sirius Black and Harry Potter or Peter Parker and Tony Stark? Yes, absolutely, but at least I know why now.

Do you still think about the loss of Sirius Black or father figures in general? Let us know what you think in the comments below!