Warning: the following contains spoilers from the film Peter Pan & Wendy.
Peter Pan & Wendy changed Peter Pan’s backstory, making the movie a lot sadder. The original 1953 animated Peter Pan film is different and didn’t explain Peter’s origins much. He simply refused to grow up and wanted all the other lost boys to follow in his footsteps and stay in Neverland forever. The mystery around Peter made him much more intriguing and added a magical sense to the movie, which is how it’s remained iconic for 70 years. However, the new backstory adds character and helps Wendy better understand him.
Peter Pan & Wendy also offers a backstory on Peter’s former friendship with Captain Hook. This is one of the most shocking elements of the film, as it’s hard to imagine Peter was ever friends with the villainous pirate who tried to kill him and all his friends. The change aims for audiences to understand how bad people turn out that way and create compassion for the villain. However, it’s easier to feel compassion for Peter as Wendy does when he tells his sad backstory toward the end of the new Disney live-action film.
Peter Pan’s New Backstory Makes Him A Tragic Character
At the end of Peter Pan & Wendy, all the children go to the Darling house, but Peter sits on the roof instead of going inside to play. Wendy comes out to talk to him, and he points to the chimney where his name is carved into the bricks. Wendy realizes Peter used to live in her house a long time ago. He tells her one day, his mother got angry with him and told him he needed to grow up. This is the same scenario that occurs between Wendy and her father, which is continued in a later conversation with her mother.
Peter explains he went off to Neverland and never returned. However, he misses his mother but will never see her again. While he doesn’t clarify what happened to her, it’s assumed he’s been gone for a long time, and she likely passed away years ago. The backstory makes Peter’s story much sadder. His “never grow up” motto is holding him back, but the added context shows a deep sadness and regret in Peter and a part of him that wishes he never ran away to Neverland.
Why Peter Pen & Wendy’s Peter Changes Improve The Character
Peter’s new backstory adds depth to his character. He isn’t simply a boy who never wants to grow up or leave Neverland, but he’s someone with pain and regrets about his own life choices, which displays a maturity he doesn’t even realize he has. He carries immense guilt for leaving his mother and understands that he’ll never see her again because of his choice to run.
This gives context as to why he doesn’t want to grow up and leave Neverland because growing up would mean facing his pain, and he doesn’t feel mature enough to do that. It also connects him to Wendy since her home was once his and makes for a sweet ending when she carves her name next to his on the chimney so it reads as the film’s title, Peter Pan & Wendy.
