Luke Wilson Has Gone From Goofy Boyfriend to Hot Dad in Stargirl, and We're Not Mad at It

Stargirl is the latest CW superhero series, and it's full of familiar faces. Brec Bassinger and Amy Smart star as Courtney and Barbara Whitmore, respectively, but the most recognized face is Luke Wilson's. For most of Wilson's career he's been known as the goofy boyfriend or the affable love interest, yet in Stargirl, he's finally made the jump to hot dad as Stargirl's step-dad, Pat Dugan.

In the first episode of the series, we get a glimpse into what Pat's life was like before marrying into Courtney's family. For those not familiar with the DC comic, Pat initially started out as the sidekick "Stripesy" to the teenage-superhero Star-Spangled Kid. Eventually, Sylvester Pemberton (Joel McHale), aka the Star-Spangled Kid, received the cosmic staff and became a member of the Justice Society of America named Starman. The Justice Society of America (precursor to the Justice League) is ultimately destroyed by the Injustice Society of America, led by supervillain Icicle, and Starman leaves his cosmic staff to Pat in order for him to find a person worthy to take on the mantle.

This then leads to Pat's life as a step-father to Courtney, who is less than thrilled at the move to Blue Valley, Nebraska from Los Angeles. However, it's here that she discovers he's been harboring the secret of Starman and Stripesy, as well as the cosmic staff. The cosmic staff then chooses her to become the new Starman, which she changes to Stargirl. As the series progresses, the pair grow closer, with Courtney choosing Pat to be her sidekick (with an upgrade from the name Stripesy to S.T.R.I.P.E. since he's an adult). At the end of the day, Pat just wants to keep those he loves safe and help take down the team that destroyed his friends.

Wilson has been in the business since the mid '90s, with his debut in Wes Anderson's Bottle Rocket. Not only is he also Owen Wilson's younger brother, but he's a member of Hollywood's frat pack, which was made famous by members Will Ferrell and Vince Vaughn with their comedies in the early 2000s. Wilson's long career has found him both in comedic and dramatic roles, making him the perfect choice for Pat who is comedically charming and somewhat concerned. As a refresher, you can check out some of Wilson's best roles, including Legally Blonde and The Royal Tenenbaums, in the gallery below.

01
Emmett Richmond in Legally Blonde (2001)
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Emmett Richmond in Legally Blonde (2001)

Perhaps the role Wilson's best known for, Emmett Richmond is the (better) love interest for Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon) in the iconic film Legally Blonde. He's Elle's biggest cheerleader and is by her side every step of the way.

02
Richie Tenenbaum in The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
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Richie Tenenbaum in The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)

Teaming up with Wes Anderson once again, The Royal Tenenbaums is probably the most known film the Wilson brothers have ever been in together. Wilson plays Richie Tenenbaum, the tennis star and youngest Tenenbaum, who falls in love with his adoptive sister Margot (Gwyneth Paltrow).

03
Mitch Martin in Old School (2003)
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Mitch Martin in Old School (2003)

In Old School, Wilson plays Mitch "The Godfather" Martin, an attorney who catches his girlfriend cheating, and through some rather ridiculous circumstances, becomes the leader of a not-quite-official college fraternity with friends Frank "The Tank" Ricard (Will Ferrell) and Bernard "Beanie" Campbell (Vince Vaughn).

04
Peter Kominsky in Charlie's Angels (2000)
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Peter Kominsky in Charlie's Angels (2000)

In the reboot of the classic '70s series, Wilson appears as the love interest to Cameron Diaz's Natalie. The pair meet while they are both working as freelance wait staff at a private party thrown by the film's supposed villain Roger Corwin (Tim Curry).

05
Corporal Joe Bauers in Idiocracy (2006)
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Corporal Joe Bauers in Idiocracy (2006)

Idiocracy shows what would happen if the world consistently became dumber and dumber over the years. Wilson stars as Joe Bauers, who is an ordinary man with an average IQ, to spearhead a secret government project. However, he and his project mate Rita (Maya Rudolph) are forgotten and awaken five hundred years later in a society that barely knows how to function (they think plants can survive on a sports drink because of electrolytes). Terry Crews also stars as President Camacho, a wrestler turned president.

06
Albuquerque in Zombieland: Double Tap
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Albuquerque in Zombieland: Double Tap

As made clear in the picture above, Wilson plays Albuquerque who is Tallahassee's (Woody Harrelson doppelgänger in Zombieland: Double Tap. Along with his sidekick Flagstaff (Thomas Middleditch), who is Columbus's (Jesse Eisenberg) doppelgänger, Albuquerque appears at Nevada's (Rosario Dawson) motel before being confronted by T-800s (aka the worst zombies one can encounter and named after the Terminator).

07
Anthony Adams in Bottle Rocket (1996)
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Anthony Adams in Bottle Rocket (1996)

Bottle Rocket was Wilson's debut film. In it, he plays Anthony Adams, who is broken out of a psychiatric hospital by his friend Dignan (Owen Wilson) who is determined to go on a crime spree.

08
Casey Kelso in That '70s Show (2002-2005)
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Casey Kelso in That '70s Show (2002-2005)

Wilson had a short stint as Casey Kelso, Michael Kelso's (Ashton Kutcher) older brother and the main antagonist of season four when he started dating Donna (Laura Prepon) after she and Eric Foreman (Topher Grace) broke up.

09
Alex Sheldon/Adam Shipley in Alex and Emma (2003)
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Alex Sheldon/Adam Shipley in Alex and Emma (2003)

Wilson does double duty in Alex and Emma as writer Alex Sheldon and the character in his novel, Adam Shipley. Kate Hudson portrays the titular Emma who serves as both Alex's transcriber and love interest as the pair grow close during the writing of his book. The best part of this film is the feeling of a story within a story.

10
Officer David Delinko in Hoot (2006)
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Officer David Delinko in Hoot (2006)

In Hoot, Officer David Delinko is the affable police officer that has always dreamed of being a detective. He helps out Roy A. Eberhardt (Logan Lerman) and his friends, Beatrice "The Bear" Leep (Brie Larson) and "Mullet Fingers" (Cody Linley) save the burrowing owls.