 Greno and Howard wanted Flynn to be funny and sarcastic as opposed to snarky . One occasion in particular involved an animator having Flynn respond to Rapunzel 's excitement by simply walking away from her in silence . The directors did not like this because , according to Greno , Flynn " did this reaction where [ he ] treated her like she 's nuts . " Although both directors agreed that Flynn 's reaction was funny , Greno and Howard wanted the characters to " connect " emotionally during this scene . Screenwriter Dan Fogelman said that Flynn is " at his best ... when he 's playing little mind games with other people and entertaining himself along with them , " likening him to English actor Cary Grant . Fogelman concluded , " At his heart , he 's really kind of a lost soul who doesn 't quite know what he wants and who he is . " Howard cited fictional characters Ferris Bueller and Indiana Jones as influences because these characters , like Flynn , " are skilled but have a human side to them . " Flynn is considered an antihero because " He is quick @-@ witted and agile , stealing to survive " and " he is also extremely narcissistic . " 
