Sebastian Stan says young men lack positive male role models amid rise in toxic masculinity

Opening up about masculinity, fatherhood and why young men need emotional guidance, actor gets candid in interview

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Photo: Imsebastinestan/Instagram

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In a recent interview, Hollywood actor Sebastian Stan shared his thoughts on toxic masculinity and the lack of positive male role models in society today.

The 43-year-old actor, who is expecting his first child with girlfriend Annabelle Wallis, said impending fatherhood has changed his perspective and helped him better understand what it means to be a man.

According to Stan, many young men are struggling because they are not being guided towards emotional awareness and tolerance.

“You really see how young men right now are suffering from a lack of true male role models,” he said. “We have a lot of examples at the moment of very narcissistic, very aggressive, very entitled examples of being a man. It’s incredibly upsetting. It’s painful to see.”

Speaking about the rise in misogyny, the Avengers actor said the issue stems from a “lack of tolerance”. Stan explained that men are often not taught how to deal with discomfort, anger, frustration, or emotions healthily. He added that young men are rarely encouraged to embrace vulnerability, sadness, or depression.

“Nobody is educating them on how to embrace depression, or being sad, feeling things, being weak, crying,” he said.

Reflecting on his own life, the actor revealed that reconnecting with his biological father later in life helped him understand that expressing emotions is normal.

“I was able to draw this inspiration from, ‘It’s OK for you to feel whatever you’re feeling,’” he shared. Stan emphasised that young men should be reassured that it is acceptable to openly experience emotions.

The actor is reportedly set to enter the DC Studios universe with The Batman Part II, which is currently scheduled for release on October 1.