In 2025, How to Train Your Dragon returns in a live-action adaptation, and at the heart of the story again is Stoick the Vast—brought to life by Gerard Butler  According to 17-year-old co-star Mason Thames, Butler’s commanding presence on set made everyone “cower,” portraying both a formidable Viking leader and a tender father.

Known for his physical presence in 300 and charismatic roles in films like Law Abiding Citizen, Butler brings emotional weight to Stoick—a warrior ready to evolve for his son and his people. His return guarantees a combination of epic scale, family drama, and heartfelt storytelling.

🎥 Why it matters:

• Butler blends action and emotional depth in a paternal role.
• Elevates an animated character for live-action epic storytelling.
• Explores fatherhood and leadership in a mythical, dragon-filled landscape.

The live-action How to Train Your Dragon (2025) marks one of the most ambitious cinematic reimaginings of a beloved animated franchise. Directed by Dean DeBlois, who returns to shepherd his own legacy, the film aims not to simply replicate the magic of the original — but to enrich it with grounded emotion, layered performances, and visual realism. At the center of this retelling stands Stoick the Vast — a towering presence in both lore and heart — reinterpreted by Gerard Butler with fresh intensity and vulnerability.

In this adaptation, Stoick isn’t just a roaring warrior with a giant axe and a booming voice. He’s a man grieving, hoping, evolving. Haunted by the death of his wife and the uncertain future of his people, Stoick finds himself at a generational crossroads. Dragons are no longer just beasts to be fought — they’re a mirror, challenging what it means to lead, to protect, and to let go. His relationship with Hiccup, now on the cusp of manhood, becomes the emotional spine of the narrative.

Gerard Butler taps into that duality — the iron-willed Viking chief and the deeply conflicted father. This isn’t the stylized shouting of action cinema. His Stoick carries silence like a shield. In one of the film’s most intimate scenes, he places his palm against a dragon’s scarred hide, not with fear, but recognition — a man who knows what it is to be misunderstood, to be shaped by survival.

The visual design of Stoick is both faithful and elevated: a blend of Norse armor realism with fantastical elements — weather-worn furs, hand-carved sigils, and the scars of countless battles. Yet it’s the eyes that hold the truth — Stoick watches Hiccup not as a soldier would an apprentice, but as a father afraid he may lose his son to a world he no longer understands.

Mason Thames, playing Hiccup, creates a dynamic chemistry with Butler that captures the nuance of a boy emerging from under his father’s shadow. Their exchanges oscillate between friction and mutual awe. Hiccup’s innovations — his desire to befriend dragons, not kill them — force Stoick to question his legacy and the cost of traditions built on fear.

Butler’s return to the role, this time in live-action, adds a layer of meta resonance. Having voiced Stoick in all three animated films, he approaches the character not from scratch, but from within — adding subtle layers to what was once a heroic archetype. His performance feels lived-in, like he’s grown alongside the character himself.

The world-building supports this transformation. The village of Berk has been reimagined not just as a fantastical setting, but as a living, breathing society — textured, flawed, and beautiful. Dragons are realized through a mix of practical effects and top-tier CGI, giving them weight, presence, and emotion. Toothless, in particular, becomes more than a creature — he’s a symbol of trust, bridging the human and the mythic.

The film also leans into themes of masculinity, vulnerability, and generational inheritance. Stoick’s arc is not about conquering dragons, but conquering pride. Through Hiccup’s journey, he learns that strength can mean listening, that bravery can be gentle, and that leadership sometimes means letting the next generation forge a new path.

Composer John Powell returns to reimagine his iconic themes for a full orchestra and live instrumentation, creating soaring emotional peaks and hushed, intimate valleys that underscore Stoick’s internal journey.

Ultimately, How to Train Your Dragon (2025) isn’t just a fantasy epic — it’s a story about fatherhood, legacy, and learning to see the world through younger eyes. Gerard Butler doesn’t just reprise Stoick the Vast — he redefines him, reminding us that even the mightiest warriors are, at heart, fathers trying to do right by their children.