It's kinda similar to how a lot of the male characters in Spielberg's movies need to grow up or learn to care about children (Hook, Jurassic Park, War of the Worlds).
Or how Tim Burton's characters often have daddy issues.
Storytellers often just stick to whatever they're familiar with. It doesn't even have to be something personal, it may be something as simple as they had success with a certain formula/story and just don't want to stray too far from it.