Peter Pan is one of the family-friendly characters who are in the process of getting a horror adaptation, and this is the perfect chance to confirm a popular theory about this character. The horror genre has taken advantage of different trends in recent years, such as legacy sequels and reboots. One that has gained force lately is making horror movies of kid-friendly tales and characters, a trend that was popularized by 2023’s Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey. These movies are possible thanks to many children’s stories and characters being part of the public domain, and many are now in development.

The popularity of Blood and Honey not only made way for a sequel but also for a connected universe of horror movies based on children’s tales. This universe, now referred to as “Poohniverse” thanks to the upcoming crossover film Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble, will be formed by horror versions of characters like Bambi, Pinocchio, and Peter Pan. The latter will get two movies, one titled Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare, which is currently in production, and it’s the perfect chance to confirm a popular but very dark Peter Pan theory.

Dark Peter Pan Theory Suggests He’s A Serial Killer

Peter Pan Might Have Not Been As Innocent As You Thought

The most popular Peter Pan theory is, unsurprisingly, a very dark one, as it turns the supposedly innocent hero into a horrifying serial killer. Peter Pan tells Wendy and her brothers that if they go with him to Never Land they will never have to grow up, but that might be a lie. According to the theory (via Reddit), Peter Pan is the only immortal being, so the kids he brings to Never Land, who become Lost Boys, eventually grow up.

However, once they hit puberty in Never Land, Peter Pan kills them, as he has a deal with the faeries (who are actually pixies): he kills them in exchange for immortality. The theory also says Captain Hook is not a pirate, but a Lost Boy who escaped, along with the rest of his crew, from Peter Pan and thus saved himself from being killed. This is why Hook and company are the only grown-ups in Never Land, and his real purpose is to defeat Peter Pan, so he stops kidnapping and killing children and rescuing as many as they can.

The theory is further fueled by how, in Disney’s 1953 Peter Pan movie, right at the end, Wendy’s father recognizes Hook’s ship, which can still be seen in the sky, crossing in front of the moon. The theory adds that Wendy’s father was a Lost Boy who was rescued by Hook, who then returned him home and his memory “was somehow erased”.

How The Peter Pan Serial Killer Theory Can Make His Horror Movie Better

Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare Is Part Of Blood & Honey’s Universe

Despite the popularity of both and the box-office success of the first Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey movie, they haven’t stood out for their high narrative quality. Because of that, there’s not much enthusiasm nor hope for the upcoming connected universe linked to Blood and Honey. However, the Peter Pan dark theory can be exactly what Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare needs to succeed. The theory is believable, has a much better structure than the Blood and Honey movies, and it has a reason for Peter Pan to be a slasher villain, instead of killing just for the sake of it.

The Peter Pan dark theory is a perfect twist to the tale everyone knows that would be quite interesting to watch, more so as it would also flip the roles of Peter Pan and Captain Hook by making the latter an antihero. It’s to be seen which direction Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare will take, but the perfect story for it is already there.

Source: Reddit.