Peter Pan is the male protagonist of the 2023 live-action film Peter Pan & Wendy.
He is based on both the character of the same name from the play by J.M. Barrie and Disney's 1953 animated film Peter Pan.
Background
This variant of Peter Pan is portrayed in a rather somewhat unpleasant light. He is depicted as immature, selfish and a jerk, compared to his more heroic counterpart in the original 1953 film. In addition, he hardly attempts to understand what Tinker Bell says, unlike his animated counterpart. However, like his animated counterpart, he does have some of his heroic side and he does care for his friends at times, and after nearly getting killed by Captain Hook and Tiger Lily saving him, Peter comes to realize the errors of his ways and became even more caring and altruistic to others, even to the extent of trying to reconcile with Hook, who was once his old friend named James.
Role in the film
In the film, Peter ran away from home after getting into an argument with his mother and went to Neverland. When he returned to his home, his mother was long dead, and someone was living in his home. He then met James and the two became friends until Hook wanted to see his mother and left Peter. When James returned to him, Peter learned that his old friend has changed, he cut his hand off and threw to the Crocodile. Peter could never accept him and the two friends now became enemies, with James becoming Hook.
Later on, Peter arrives at his old home, now owned by the Darling family, a family who believe in him and tell stories about him, where he approaches Wendy, John, and Michael Darling who are all in bed for help in reclaiming his shadow. The three suddenly wake up to see Peter and Tink as Wendy curiously questions to know how he is real, and Peter replies that he likes to hear stories about him, as he found the Darling family's house the perfect place where people believe in him and tell stories about him. He then catches his shadow with the Darling children's help before it goes downstairs. Wendy, while she helps sew his shadow back on Peter, asks him to know how he knew her name which Peter recaps that he heard Wendy's mother, Mary Darling, call her occasionally, and that Wendy never wanted to grow up as Peter was waiting for her to come with him to Neverland. Upon hearing Tink jingling, Peter tells Wendy that it's time for her, John, and Michael to go to Neverland, the place where no one grows up. Peter then tells Wendy, John, and Michael that in order to fly, all they have to do is think of happy thoughts with faith, trust, and a little bit of Pixie Dust which Tink sprinkles Pixie Dust as Wendy finds herself flying, followed by Michael and John thanks to the Pixie Dust's effects just as Peter and Tink bring the children out of the house on their way to Neverland. As Peter and the children fly past Big Ben, they fly into the Second Star to the Right where they end up in Neverland.
Arriving at Never Land, Peter and the Darling children have fun encounter a group of mermaids swimming below them while flying across the landscape of Neverland; suddenly, a nearby pirate alerts Hook about seeing Peter, who has arrived back at Neverland, leading Hook to send his crew to fire cannonballs at Peter and his friends by firing cannonballs at them. Peter attempts to lead them to a safe spot to avoid getting hit by cannonballs. Just as they land at the edge of Neverland, Peter sees the Jolly Roger from a distance, telling Wendy, John, and Michael that Hook is the one leading the attack against them. Peter then lands on the other side far away from the Jolly Roger where he devises a plan, telling the children that they will create a plan to distract Hook which they are suddenly struck by Hook while Wendy suddenly finds herself on the beach washed ashore. Luckily, Peter survives the battle against Hook and his crew where he then appears with Tink disguised as a pirate where he arrives at Skull Rock, as Hook and his crew prepare to drown John and Michael as bait against him. When they, including Wendy, Tiger Lily, and the Lost Children, see Peter wearing a fake beard and a pirate hat, they realize that the pirate in disguise was none other than Peter. After Peter removes his disguise, Tink tells him that now is the chance to escape which Peter outsmarts the pirates followed by Tink taking them on, knocking them into the water which the two were able to foil the pirates. Hook then engages in a duel against Peter, when Peter got distracted by talking with Wendy, who helped Tiger Lily and Tink free John and Michael, and Hook strikes his shadow's back, knocking him down, much to Wendy's worry. Then after Peter calls Hook a codfish, Hook attempts to finish him off, only for Wendy to save Peter by calling out to Hook to stop. After Wendy introduced herself and where she came from, Hook threatens her to say her last goodbye to Peter as he finishes him off, but then the Crocodile emerges from the water, foiling Hook and his crew, who escaped, while Peter gets Wendy, John, Michael, and Tiger Lily out of Skull Rock in time.
After escaping from Hook to another part of Neverland, Peter exclaims how fun their adventure is, resulting Wendy to angrily slap him across the face for being reckless. Wendy then argues with Peter that she had a dangerous adventure during her encounter with Hook to which while they are arguing, she asks Peter if he could beat Hook on his own without help. Peter replies that he doesn't need any help, and he tells Wendy and the Lost Children that nothing ever changes in Neverland just before Wendy follows alongside her brothers as well as the Lost Children into their hideout. Wendy then reunites Peter at the Lost Children's Hideout where she tries to convince him to tell the Lost Children his story of how he and Hook became enemies, resulting Peter to angrily retreat to his room when they suddenly begin discussing about growing up and mothers. Wendy then instead sings a lullaby to her brothers and the Lost Children. As Wendy sings "All Grown Up" to the children, Peter is alone in his room practicing with his sword in his room. Wendy then follows Tink into Peter's room where she approaches Peter who finally recaps that Hook used to be friends with him and that his name was James, just as he describes him as the very first Lost Boy and after Hook left, he betrayed Peter and became a ruthless pirate captain just as Wendy tells Peter that Neverland is not exactly what she was expecting just before she exits Peter's room.
As Hook enters Peter's room, he plans to kill Peter who is attempting to hide from him like he did in the past. As Peter backs away after Hook wounds him with his sword, he starts falling down from high below while Tink attempts to rescue Peter to prevent him from hurting himself only for Tink to be captured by Mr. Smee with his beanie, much to Wendy, John, Michael, and the other Lost Children's horror. With Peter presumed dead, Hook returns to the Jolly Roger alongside the rest of the crew with the children and Tink held captive. Suddenly, the Pixie Dust left by Tink wears off of Peter, but he still lies unconsciously while Peter's shadow runs past the Indian Camp to alert Tiger Lily of what happened to Peter, resulting in Tiger Lily to arrive at the spot where Peter is lying down unconscious at Lost Children's Hideout.
The next day, Tiger Lily arrives at the spot where Peter is laying unconsciously and she nurses Peter back to health. Peter, who regains his consciousness, asks Tiger Lily to know what happened to Tink and the children and Tiger Lily tells him that Hook and his crew have arrived at the hideout and captured them, leading Peter to head out to find Hook and rescue Tink and the children. Peter attempts to fly, but realizes that he cannot, because he doesn't have the Pixie Dust to help him fly, as Tink has been captured. Seeing Peter having trouble, Tiger Lily convinces Peter to let her help him find an alternate way to get to Hook so that he can rescue Tink and the children.
Tiger Lily brings Peter to Hook where Peter arrives to confront him on the ship. Hook then approaches Peter and asks him to know how he survived the wound and fall, which Peter tells him that a little help from his friends helped him survive, indicating that Peter realized the errors of his reckless ways from that near-death experience. Peter and Hook then engage in a sword fight in battle while Wendy, Michael, John, the Lost Children, Tink, and Tiger Lily join the battle and fight off against the pirates. Peter then confronts Hook inside his cabin just as Wendy turns the ship upside down to drop the pirates out of their ship. As Hook attempts to strike Peter one last time, he leaps into a hatch which he almost falls through and about to fall off his ship only for Hook to land on the mast. Then Peter regains his ability to fly thanks to Wendy catching him before he, too, fell. Peter then tries to convince Hook to apologize for his betrayal after Peter apologizes for hurting him, which Hook tells him that this isn't how it works. Wendy defends Peter from Hook while two of the Lost Boys fire a cannonball at Hook. As Hook is about to fall off his ship, Peter grabs him by his hook and tells him to think happy thoughts, but Hook admits he doesn't have any and falls into the ocean, causing him to lose his hook. With Hook and his pirates defeated, Peter grieves over the loss of his friend, only to be comforted by everyone. Peter then returns to London, returning the children of the Darling family to their home.
After Wendy and her brothers return home with the Lost Children being adopted by their parents, she approaches Peter crying on the rooftop of the Darling family's house where Peter recaps that the house where he is at used to be his home and his mother scolded him, telling him to grow up, but Peter refused to grow up. He then confessed to Wendy that he missed his home and his mother because of it, as well as telling her that he could come back to the Darling family's house as there are people who read stories about himself. Wendy then tells Peter that he could stay with her and her family, but Peter decides that he'll return to Neverland with Tink, not wanting to grow up, to which Wendy relents and agrees, and as Peter and Tink leave on the flying ship, Wendy, John, Michael, the Lost Children, and even George and Nana Darling and Mary bid them both goodbye and see them off. Peter, upon returning, discovers that Hook and Smee have survived, and he smiles down at them, followed by Hook who successfully returns a smile, implying that he has either forgiven Peter or he wants to battle Peter again, to which Peter reciprocates.
Trivia
- This incarnation of the character is the first to be dark skinned.
- Unlike the original character, this incarnation of the character does not have pointy elf ears.
Gallery
See also
- Peter Pan (character)
- Peter Pan (Once Upon a Time)
- Sweet Pete (Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers)
