Peter Pan is one of the most popular fictional characters throughout American literature with a plethora of books, stage plays, comic books, videogames, and a large number of film adaptations with each carrying their own flavor; retelling the tale from a multitude of different perspectives. One of the most interesting adaptations comes from the 1950's classic made by Walt Disney. Disney's version really captured the imaginative atmosphere the young boy thrived in; giving us a thrill ride of adventure. In his first appearance in the Disney universe; Peter, is never given a formal origin; instead we are presented with tales of his adventures in Never Land as he fights against his arch nemesis: Captain Hook, as told by Wendy Darling. Although it has been implied Hook and Pan have fought for many years, several questions remain: how did they meet? What year could it have been? When was Peter born? How did he meet Tinker Bell? What if I told you the answer to all of these questions can be found within other Disney related movies? Today we will be looking at one question that might answer it all: is Peter Pan a time traveler?
Evidence#1: Sword in The Stone
In Disney's first adaptation of Peter Pan, one of the most interesting details worth mentioning comes in the form of Peter's clothing. Although the movie is set in the early 20th century; none of his clothes appear to be in fashion during the 1900's. After Taking a closer look at the design of his wardrobe, Pan's appearance seems to be reminiscent of king Arthur's clothing. In his movie: The Sword in The Stone; Arthur, shares a number of similarities to Peter in terms of their manner of dress. Despite their differing color schemes and how they chose to wear their outfits, both gentlemen look as if they might be from the same period in time. Much like Arthur; Peter, is regarded as a legend with tales of his adventures being passed down for new generations to embrace with their imaginations. In both films, the existence of magic appears to be present, playing a crucial role in the outcome of their stories in addition to introducing a host of mythical creatures living in their separate universes.
Evidence# 2: The Black Cauldron
When it comes to the question of how Peter met his companion, fans have speculated both their origins began in Neverland; however, this might not be the case. In the Disney classic titled: "The Black Cauldron"; Tinker Bell, makes a cameo appearance in the background as one of the fairies. Considering the film itself takes place in the dark ages; which began in the year 476, it's definitely possible that a young Peter Pan may have met her during this period in time. Once the pair become friends; Tinkerbell, showers the young boy with pixie dust and he learns how to fly. After taking a another glance at The Sword in The Stone; we can easily determine how old Peter is before the film. Since Arthur's legacy appears to be set in the 480's and Pan is 12 some time before his reign; Peter, would have been 8 years old during the events of The Black Cauldron.
Evidence# 3: Captain Hook
In the movie; The Pirate Fairy, it was revealed Captain James Hook formed his own crew 20 years prior to his first encounter with Peter and attended classes at Eton college in England. Due to the information uncovered in the film, we can assume Hook is not originally from Never Land; therefore his first battle with Pan must have taken place outside of the mythical island. After analyzing the captain's clothing in addition to researching what year James might be from, it's clear Peter would have met him between the 1600-1700's. During this period in time, Peter thwarts his adversaries schemes, slicing off his left hand. As a result, the captain seeks revenge on the young boy, becoming his arch nemesis.
Evidence# 4: Cinderella 2
During the events of Disney's sequel to the animated classic: Cinderella; Peter, makes a cameo appearance, flying through the town. Although he is not physically present in the film, Peter's shadow can be seen as he moves past a sign baring the royal decree, which is posted on the nearest building. Based on their clothing, hairstyles, and architectural structures; Cinderella appears to take place in the 1870's. Many of the characters outfits closely resemble the Victorian era of fashion. Considering the location of her second animated feature; we can make an educated guess as to where he might be heading. Because the film's setting takes place in Germany and Peter is originally from England, he must have been on his way to London. Given the time period Cinderella 2 is based on; it's clear Peter is not going to meet Wendy, but he might be on his way to see her grandmother. As a result, tales of his adventures are passed down to her daughter Mary and eventually, she passes them onto Wendy.
Evidence# 5: Neverland
In Disney's version of the mythical island, Never Land is a magical place housing a variety of residents from different eras. As a result, Never Land appears to be frozen in time as time itself does not pass in the same way it generally would in our world. The best known evidence to support this claim can be found in the films Return to Never land and the original, Peter Pan. In his first Disney animated feature; Peter, is known as the boy who never grew up and has gone on countless adventures battling his nemesis: Captain Hook. Peter's origin within the Disney universe is a mystery, no one knows how long he has been alive or why he is immune to the aging process all living organisms experience. However; it is strongly implied that Pan has been around for a long time considering all his stories narrated by Wendy were told to her by her mother.
Currently, it is unknown as to how long the young thrill seeker has fought against Hook, but it's clear the war between them has existed long before Wendy and her parents. In Return to Never Land; Captain Hook, kidnaps Wendy's daughter, Jane by mistake. Although the film's setting takes place 20 years after the events of Peter Pan; James, looks exactly the same as he did in the first film. Another clue pointing towards the island being outside of the average flow of time can be found in it's other inhabitants: Tiger Lily and her father. Due to their Native American heritage; Tiger Lily, her father, and their tribe, appear to hail from an earlier period in time; which pre-dates all the other residents except for Peter.
Upon further examination of the mythical realm, Never Land seems to be a dimension separate from our own with the only means of entry coming in the form of a portal. After flying to the "second star on the right"; all those who enter the island are met with a series of shapes through a tunnel similar to a Kaleidoscope. In addition to both cinematic features, another piece of evidence has been discovered in the House of Mouse and Who Framed Roger Rabbit? In the TV series; House of Mouse, Peter makes a cameo appearance, teaching Donald Duck how to fly.
Due to the series taking place in the early 2000's; Peter would have either traveled to the future or the event itself took place later in his timeline. Another possible answer may present itself in the form of the show taking place in an alternate dimension with the same properties as Never Land. When it comes to the iconic film starring Roger Rabbit; Tinker Bell can be seen flying towards the screen near the end. Considering the year Roger's movie is set (1947), the adventure itself takes place a few years after the events of Return to Never Land, however this version of 1947 appears to be set in an alternate universe.
Verdict
After looking over the evidence for this theory, several questions came to mind; how does Peter travel through the time stream and is he aware of how to move backwards or forward in time? How much time has passed between the movies in Tinker Bell's prequel series? How did Captain Hook reach Never Land? In order to answer these questions we must examine the facts. Peter has never expressed an interest in the concept of time. As an adventurer, Pan's only focused on his quest for exploration and excitement. Because of this mentality, it's obvious Peter lacks knowledge of how he moves through the time stream, however he does have knowledge in regards to his destinations.
The best evidence to support this can be found in Return to Never Land when Peter is noticeably shocked to see how much Wendy has aged. According to Tinker Bell's film series, the fairy was born in Never Land's Pixie Hollow. Considering the imagery of the first movie in the series; Tinker Bell appears to be set in the early 1900's. Due to the information uncovered in the film; it has been implied Captain Hook might be from the 20th century, making his portion of the theory seem false; however, two problems exist with that conclusion:
1. It has not been confirmed what year James may have been born. So far, it is unknown as to what year the captain is from.
2. Currently it is unknown how Hook was capable of entering Never Land during his appearance in The Pirate Fairy, leaving the subject open for debate.
When it comes to the question of how Peter is capable of traveling through time, the answer can be found in the one place you least expected: pixie dust. According to information found in Tinker Bell's movies; it has been confirmed there are eight different types of pixie dust: Blue, Gold, Green, Amber, Pink, Purple, Cyan, and Orange. Each color of pixie dust holds it's own unique properties. In the films, it has been rumored two other colors of pixie dust exist: White and Grey.
Although neither of these colors appear to give fairies the ability of chronokinesis, considering Never Land exists outside the borders of time, it's safe to assume the island itself is capable of producing pixie dust to open a portal through time. Considering how long it took for the other forms of pixie dust to be discovered, it wouldn't be a stretch for this to be possible. As for the question of how James was able to reach Never Land; the answer is a magic portal. In order for a person to reach Never Land; you must gain entrance through a portal.
Although there has only been one confirmed method of entry to the enchanted island, since captain Hook isn't capable of flight; the most logical explanation for his appearance in this realm presents itself in the form of another portal. Based on Peter and Tinker Bell's films, the gateway to Never Land hasn't been fully explored; leaving the contents of it's properties open to interpretation. Given the nature of evidence found within Disney lore, there has been a few noticeable inconsistencies. However, none of these contradictions hinder the validity of this theory; in fact , all the plot holes discovered in their time line's canonicity prove it's the most likely outcome. In the end, Neverland's origins may be shrouded in mystery, but one thing is certain: Peter Pan is a time traveler.
