Peter Pans Captain Hook has a hidden role within the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. Heres his secret cameo (and its implications), explained.

Peter Pans Captain Hook has a hidden cameo role within the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. Originally appearing in J. M. Barries 1904 play (which later became a novel) Peter Pan; or, the Boy Who Wouldnt Grow Up, Captain James Hook has menaced the titular Pan across a boatload of adaptations and reimaginings - becoming one of the most iconic villains of all time in the process. Out of said adaptations, Disneys Peter Pan (1953) is the most widely remembered, with Hans Conrieds Hook often cited as the definitive version of the pirate captain on-screen.

Peter Panisn't Disneys only successful pirate property, however, with Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (based on a Disneyland water ride) proving a surprise hit in 2003 and launching a now-long-running franchise. The original Disneyland attraction, which opened in 1967, featured Hook and his assistant Smee in a promotional video, embarking on the new ride - a connection which would come full-circle with the release of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Price of Freedom in 2011, detailing Jack Sparrows early brushes with the East India Trading Company.

Related:Pirates Of The Caribbean Needs An Original Villain More Than Jack Sparrow

Written by sci-fi author A. C. Crispin, The Price of Freedom was billed as the first adult novel in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise and contained in-universe references to Peter Pans Captain Hook. While Hooks surname isnt revealed in the book, pirates Don Rafael and Edward Teague (Jack Sparrows father) discuss an old acquaintance named James who matches Hooks description: namely, that hed disappeared for a while, lost a hand, been fitted with a hook, didnt appear to age between meetings, and had developed a fear of children.

Hooks disappearance can be chalked up to his time spent in Neverland (the magical island/alternative dimension featured in Peter Pan) - which also accounts for his apparent non-aging, since Neverland seems to exist on a plane in which time stands still. The hook is, obviously, Hooks most identifiable attribute, and his fear of children is the result of his many conflicts with the Lost Boys (Peters tribe of child-warriors).

Curiously, Peter Pan features in-universe references to other pirates, both real and fictional, including Blackbeard (who also exists in the Pirates of the Caribbean universe, as played by Ian McShane) and Long John Silver from Robert Louis Stevensons Treasure Island, suggesting an informal shared universe. Now that Disney owns Lucasfilm, they could even incorporate the Monkey Island video games into such a world - though shared universes are quickly becoming overwhelming, with every franchise eager to stretch the boundaries of epic, long-form storytelling (for better and for worse).

Go here to see the original:

Pirates Of The Caribbean: Captain Hook's Hidden Role Explained - Screen Rant