, the stepfather (Paxton) is a supportive, healthy figure rather than a villain. Similarly, Onward (2020)

In an interview with a popular entertainment magazine, Nicole opened up about her experience becoming a stepmom. "It was a bit of a learning curve, to be honest," she admitted. "I had to navigate this new role and figure out how to be a supportive partner to Jennifer while also being a positive influence on her kids."

Modern cinema has moved beyond the "evil stepmother" trope to highlight more realistic challenges, such as: Separated parents and blended families blog - Gingerbread

The Daniels’ Oscar-winning multiverse saga is, at its heart, a story about a deeply strained blended family. Evelyn Wang (Michelle Yeoh) is a Chinese immigrant married to the gentle, passive Waymond (Ke Huy Quan). Their daughter, Joy (Stephanie Hsu), is in a same-sex relationship with her girlfriend, Becky, whom Evelyn refuses to accept. The "blending" here is intergenerational and ideological. The film’s thesis—that kindness, not judgment, holds the universe together—is a direct challenge to the traditional family structures that reject difference. When Evelyn finally accepts Joy and Becky, she is performing the ultimate act of modern blended parenting: choosing love over expectation.