There’s some dark theories about Disney’s library of family-friendly movies that may just ruin your childhood. The animation wing of the studio is responsible for creating some of the all-time classic films in the genre. Whether they are from the very beginning with movies like Snow White and the Seven Dwarves or even some more recent efforts like Frozen, Disney has created some beloved stories that usually warm the hearts of audiences.
As the films continue to be rewatched and picked apart though, there are always new details to be discovered. In many instances, some details can spawn elaborate theories, with one of the latest examples being that every animated Disney movie exists in the same universe. While that is a fun possibility to consider, there are also several theories pointing to some darker elements to these films.
In the latest Screen Rant video, we take a look at 25 insanely dark theories pertaining to Disney’s films that could ruin your childhood. The list is primarily concerned with animated films from both Disney Animation and Pixar, but a quick Hannah Montana theory is also addressed. If these theories are true, there’s a dark turn to the likes of Bambi, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Toy Story, and so much more.
The theory that Ariel’s mother is in Peter Pan is a nice piece of connective tissue, but then the twist comes with the indication that Captain Hook is responsible for killing her. The same can be said of Bambi, where the theory goes that Gaston from Beauty and the Beast is the one who killed the mother deer. Sticking with the dead mother trope that Disney films almost always employ, one of the theories suggests this became a pattern due to Walt Disney loosing his own mother. The last two theories are certainly the darkest, that Disney wants to reinforce racist stereotypes and the idea that a woman needs a man to be happy.
Thankfully, the latter of the theories appear to be a bit of a stretch. Disney has one of the most impressive upcoming slates of any studio and are making sure that they are filled with diverse leads and empowering messages. The main Star Wars saga is now being led by Rey (Daisy Ridley) and Marvel Studios just experienced great success with the nearly all-black cast of Black Panther. They also have Captain Marvel coming out in a few weeks that has a female-empowerment message; Toy Story 4 is giving Bo Peep a bigger role; Frozen 2 may introduce a girlfriend for Elsa; and there’s several other upcoming movies that promote women and people of color both in front of and behind the camera.
