Michael is clumsy, innocent, observant, and playful. He looks up to his older siblings, John and Wendy. He is also very sensitive as seen at the beginning of the film, he cries when their father, George, declares that night is Wendy's last night in the nursery and kicks Nana out of the house and in the climax when he, John, Peter Pan, and the Lost Boys returned to their hideout he starts to feel homesick after Wendy sings "Your Mother and Mine" and he cries in her arms.
Physical appearance[]
Michael has strawberry blonde hair, blue eyes, and fair skin. He wears pink footie pajamas and carries a brown teddy bear.
Michael is a supporting character in the film. It is explained that he and his older brother, John, believe that Peter Pan, whom they have learned about from Wendy's stories, is a real person. Thus, they often make-believe that they are Captain Hook and Peter Pan in their nursery games.
At the beginning of the film, Michael and John are playing one of these games, with Michael as Peter Pan. They are having a fake swordfight, as George comes in looking for his cufflinks, as he is getting ready for a party. John realizes that the cufflinks were used as a buried treasure in their game, but they can't remember where they are and they have lost the treasure map they made. George finds the map, which turns out to have been made out of his shirt front, much to his horror. This upsets George, and he begins scolding all the children for having their heads filled with silly stories. Michael's older sister, Wendy, protests, and as a result she is told that she will no longer be allowed to stay in the nursery, which upsets him. As George goes to leave, he trips over Nana, and thus ties her up outside, which greatly upsets Michael. His mother, Mary, comforts him as she tucks him in bed. As she goes to leave, he hands over the cufflinks and two rings belonging to her.
When Peter Pan appears later, Michael is asleep but awakens as Peter Pan chases after Tinker Bell. He is allowed to accompany Peter Pan, Wendy, and John to Neverland and chooses to bring his teddy bear. Nana sees this, terrified, and tries to stop them. Michael sees this and spreads some of Tinker Bell's pixie dust at Nana, causing her to fly, and he calls her to follow, but not realizing that she's being held back by the leash still attached to her collar and is left behind waving at him. In Neverland, he goes off to hunt Indians with John and the Lost Boys. After finding a feather and tomahawk, he plays with them for a bit but realizes they are about to be ambushed by the Indians. He tries to warn the others, but they don't listen and the entire group is captured by the Indians. They are taken to the Indian Camp, where the Chief reveals that they are being held responsible for the capture of his daughter, Tiger Lily. Though he threatens to burn them at the stake if she is not returned, this punishment is avoided thanks to Peter Pan rescuing her from Captain Hook, the real kidnapper.
Michael parties with the Lost Boys, while Wendy is forced to do chores, and he returns late at night. Wendy, annoyed with Peter Pan, proclaims they will go home the next day, and that they need to sleep. After talking with Michael, it becomes apparent that Michael is starting to forget what home was like, as he at first thinks that Wendy, then Nana, was his mother. Wendy is able to remind him who she was, and he agrees to go home, accompanied by the Lost Boys, who wanted to go after hearing about Mary. However, as they go to leave, the entire group is captured by Captain Hook. He offers to allow them to either join his crew or walk the plank. The boys almost take his offer but are stopped by Wendy. They're then forced to watch as she walks the plank. However, she is saved and they're freed thanks to the timely arrival of Peter Pan. A large fight breaks out, and Michael participates by banging a pirate on the head with his teddy bear, which is revealed to have been stuffed with a cannonball. Afterward, he returns home on the Jolly Roger and is asleep by the time George and Mary return home.
Michael didn't appear in the sequel and wasn't mentioned by any of the characters, including Wendy. However, he made a couple of shadowy cameos on some starry night clouds that light up by Tinker Bell, to begin with (flying with Wendy and John and tagging along with John and the Lost Boys to the Indian Camp). His nephew, Danny, seems to strongly resemble him in appearance and personality.
Michael and the rest of the Darling family appear in the Season 2 episode "Second Star to the Right". He is portrayed by child actor Benjamin Cook. After a boy named Baelfire was welcomed into their family, he and John overhear him one night warning Wendy to stay away from a shadow that looms outside the window. Wendy ignores his advice and travels to Neverland with it. She brings bad news on her arrival back; the Shadow wants to take one of her brothers away to Neverland forever. During the next night, Baelfire helps to hide everyone when the Shadow comes. However, Michael doesn't follow the plan and risks of being kidnapped by it. To avoid the splitting up of a family, Baelfire asks to be taken to Neverland instead.
In "Dark Hollow", John and Michael became employed by Pan after he kidnapped Wendy sometime after the events of "Second Star to the Right". Now adults, they arrive in Storybrooke to destroy Pandora's Box, the only thing capable of defeating him. While they succeed in capturing it, they are thwarted by Belle and Ariel in the mines. They reveal Pan is holding Wendy captive in Neverland, so Belle promises she will do what is necessary to save Wendy if they do not destroy the box.
Michael used to be a meetable character at the Disney theme parks in the 1980s, usually played by a 6-year to 8-year old boy, but child labor laws of the 1990s forced him to be dropped from the face character roster.
Michael has an audio-animatronic featured in the popular attraction, Peter Pan's Flight. Another animatronic version of him can be seen in Peter Pan's Enchanted Window display along Main Street, U.S.A..
Return to Never Land:Edward • Jane • Danny • Nana II • Octopus
Locations
London • Bloomsbury • Nursery • Big Ben • The Second Star to the Right • Neverland • Neverland Jungle • The Jolly Roger • Mermaid Lagoon • Skull Rock • Indian Camp • Hangman's Tree
Songs
Peter Pan:The Second Star to the Right • You Can Fly • A Pirate's Life (Is a Wonderful Life) • Following the Leader • What Made the Red Man Red? • Your Mother and Mine • The Elegant Captain Hook • Never Smile at a Crocodile
Return to Never Land:I'll Try • Here We Go Another Plan • So to Be One of Us Deleted:The Pirate Song • The Boatswain Song • I'll Give You One Guess Remake:All Grown Up • Behemooth • Ode to the Falling
Books:Once Upon a Time: Shadow of the Queen • Once Upon a Time: Out of the Past • Once Upon a Time: Red's Untold Tale • Once Upon a Time: Regina Rising
Season One: "Pilot" • "The Thing You Love Most" • "Snow Falls" • "The Price of Gold" • "That Still Small Voice" • "The Shepherd" • "The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter" • "Desperate Souls" • "True North" • "7:15 A.M." • "Fruit of the Poisonous Tree" • "Skin Deep" • "What Happened to Frederick" • "Dreamy" • "Red-Handed" • "Heart of Darkness" • "Hat Trick" • "The Stable Boy" • "The Return" • "The Stranger" • "An Apple Red as Blood" • "A Land Without Magic"
Season Two: "Broken" • "We Are Both" • "Lady of the Lake" • "The Crocodile" • "The Doctor" • "Tallahassee" • "Child of the Moon" • "Into the Deep" • "Queen of Hearts" • "The Cricket Game" • "The Outsider" • "In the Name of the Brother" • "Tiny" • "Manhattan" • "The Queen Is Dead" • "The Miller's Daughter" • "Welcome to Storybrooke" • "Selfless, Brave and True" • "Lacey" • "The Evil Queen" • "Second Star to the Right" • "And Straight On 'Til Morning" Season Three: "The Heart of the Truest Believer" • "Lost Girl" • "Quite a Common Fairy" • "Nasty Habits" • "Good Form" • "Ariel" • "Dark Hollow" • "Think Lovely Thoughts" • "Save Henry" • "The New Neverland" • "Going Home" • "New York City Serenade" • "Witch Hunt" • "The Tower" • "Quiet Minds" • "It's Not Easy Being Green" • "The Jolly Roger" • "Bleeding Through" • "A Curious Thing" • "Kansas" • "Snow Drifts" • "There's No Place Like Home" Season Four: "A Tale of Two Sisters" • "White Out" • "Rocky Road" • "The Apprentice" • "Breaking Glass" • "Family Business" • "The Snow Queen" • "Smash the Mirror" • "Fall" • "Shattered Sight" • "Heroes and Villains" • "Darkness on the Edge of Town" • "Unforgiven" • "Enter the Dragon" • "Poor Unfortunate Soul" • "Best Laid Plans" • "Heart of Gold" • "Sympathy for the De Vil" • "Lily" • "Mother" • "Operation Mongoose" Season Five: "The Dark Swan" • "The Price" • "Siege Perilous" • "The Broken Kingdom" • "Dreamcatcher" • "The Bear and the Bow" • "Nimue" • "Birth" • "The Bear King" • "Broken Heart" • "Swan Song" • "Souls of the Departed" • "Labor of Love" • "Devil's Due" • "The Brothers Jones" • "Our Decay" • "Her Handsome Hero" • "Ruby Slippers" • "Sisters" • "Firebird" • "Last Rites" • "Only You" • "An Untold Story" Season Six: "The Savior" • "A Bitter Draught" • "The Other Shoe" • "Strange Case" • "Street Rats" • "Dark Waters" • "Heartless" • "I'll Be Your Mirror" • "Changelings" • "Wish You Were Here" • "Tougher Than the Rest" • "Murder Most Foul • "Ill-Boding Patterns" • "Page 23" • "A Wondrous Place" • "Mother's Little Helper" • "Awake" • "Where Bluebirds Fly" • "The Black Fairy" • "The Song in Your Heart" • "The Final Battle" Season Seven: "Hyperion Heights" • "A Pirate's Life"• "The Garden of Forking Paths" • "Beauty" • "Greenbacks" • "Wake Up Call" • "Eloise Gardener" • "Pretty in Blue" • "One Little Tear" • "The Eighth Witch" • "Secret Garden" • "A Taste of the Heights" • "Knightfall" • "The Girl in the Tower" • "Sisterhood" • "Breadcrumbs" • "Chosen" • "The Guardian" • "Flower Child" • "Is This Henry Mills?" • "Homecoming" • "Leaving Storybrooke"
Once Upon a Time in Wonderland: "Down the Rabbit Hole" • "Trust Me" • "Forget Me Not" • "The Serpent" • "Heart of Stone" • "Who's Alice?" • "Bad Blood" • "Home" • "Nothing to Fear" • "Dirty Little Secrets" • "Heart of the Matter" • "To Catch a Thief" • "And They Lived..."
Once Upon a Time in Wonderland: Wonderland Castle • The Mad Hatter's House • White Rabbit's House • Underland • Tulgey Wood Both series:Storybrooke • Maine • Enchanted Forest • Forbidden Fortress • Wonderland • Wonderland Maze • Agrabah • Sherwood Forest • The Sultan's Palace
Objects
Once Upon a Time: Once Upon a Time (Book) • Red Riding Hood • Maleficent's Staff • Magic Wand • Glass Slipper • Poisoned Apple • Spinning Wheel • Magic Lamp • Dark One's Dagger • Chipped Cup • Jefferson's Hat • Magic Beans • Captain Hook's Hooks • Enchanted Candle • Pixie Dust • Dreamshade • Salad Fork • Pandora's Box • Silver Slippers • Sorcerer Hat • Enchanted Broom • Trident • Enchanted Shell • Heroes and Villains (Book) • Merida's Bow • Magical Rose • Excalibur • Olympian Crystal • Cinderella's Dress • Golden Scarab Beetle • Rapunzel's Frying Pan • Magical Golden Flower • Shrinking Potion • Floating Lanterns • Tarot Cards • Maui's Fish Hook
Original Songs:Powerful Magic • The Queen Sings • Love Doesn't Stand a Chance • Revenge Is Gonna Be Mine • Wicked Always Wins • Charmings vs. Evil Queen • Emma's Theme • A Happy Beginning
Jake and the Never Land Pirates (Episode List) • Playing with Skully • Peter Pan Returns • Jake Saves Bucky • Never Land Rescue • Battle for the Book • The Great Never Sea Conquest • The Legion of Pirate Villains • Disney Junior Storybook Collection • Disney Junior Little Golden Book Library • Disney Junior DJ Shuffle • Disney Junior DJ Shuffle 2
Characters
Jake • Izzy • Cubby • Skully • Marina • Captain Hook • Mr. Smee • Sharky and Bones • Tick-Tock the Crocodile • Pirate Princess • Bucky • Winger • Wise Old Parrot • Mama Hook • Captain Flynn • Peter Pan • Never Bird • Octopus • Lucille the Seal • Red Jessica • Sandy • Monkey • Patch the Pirate Pup • Peter's Shadow • Stormy • The Sea Witch • Percy the Penguin • Misty the Wonderful Witch • Blinky • Brightly the Firefly • Cecilia • Purple Octopus • Snappy the Hermit Crab • The Seahorses • Camille • Gilly the Goldfish • Dragon • Sasha • Rosie • Ice Ogre • Slippery Serpent • Slink • Slink's Mother • Beatrice Le Beak • Fast Claw • Pip the Pirate Genie • The Sing-Songbird • Mermaids • Cornica • Flow the Dolphin • Golden Crocodile • Golden Squid • Harry • Tinker Bell • Queen Coralie • Bouncing Bumble Queen • Pirate Mummy • Captain Gizmo • King Crab • First-Mate Mollie • Brewster the Beast Trapper • The Singing Stones • Nanny Nell • Sand Serpent • Ogre Princess • Captain Treasure Tooth • Peg-Leg Peg • Wendy Darling • John Darling • Michael Darling • Nana • Finn the Mer-Boy • Electric Storm Eel • ShiverJack • Captain Buzzard Bones • Pearl the Penguin • Zongo the Pirate Monkey King • Lord Fathom • Strake • Top Bird • Swifty • Eagle-Eye • Talon • Grim Buccaneer • The Groogar • Captain Wraith • Dr. Undergear • Captain Chen • Chief Molta • Captain Colossus • Wildfire
Locations
Pirate Island • Crocodile Creek • Neverland • The Jolly Roger • Mermaid Lagoon • Skull Rock • Tiki Forest • Crimson Isle • Island of Bell • Seahorse Shallows • Doubloon Lagoon • Pirate Princess Island • Chi-Chi-Chilly Canyon • Sailor's Swamp • Stink Pot Swamp • Skybird Island • Ha-Ha Hedges • Cattail Chasm • Pirate Putt-Putt Course • Batwing Bog • Windy Cove • Have a Banana Grove • Cranberry Bog • Butterfly Bluff • Coral Cove • Pirate's Plunge • Skull and Bones Rock • Sandbar Straits • The Pirate Pumpkin Patch • Blue Whale Way • Big Tree Forest • City of Gold • Never Land Desert • Fountain of Forever • Buccaneer's Bluff • Birdbath Bluff • Shipwreck Rock • Pirate Rock • Hidden Cove • Basketball court • Crystal Tunnel • Shipwreck Beach • Never Land Jungle • Never Peak • Belch Mountain • Valley of Shadows • Pirate Pyramid • Never Sea Twin Tunnel • Never Falls • Big Bug Valley • Rainbow Falls • Forever Tree • Buccaneer Bird Bluff • King Crab Island • Neptune City • Fa-La-La Falls • Pegleg Pond • Tiptoe Pass • London • Bloomsbury, England, UK • Big Ben • Nursery • Hangman's Tree • The Second Star to the Right
Songs
Yo Ho, Let's Go! • Yo Ho Mateys, Away • Well Done Crew • Aw Coconuts • Never Land Pirate Band • Captain Hook is a Cranky Crook • Castaway On Pirate Island • Hot Lava • Pirate Password • Bucky's Shanty • Roll Up the Map • What's Cookin' Smee? • Never Sky • Tick Tock Croc • Shipwreck Shuffle • Talk Like A Pirate • Trick or Treasure • Peter's Pirate Team • Blast You Peter Pan • I Can't Fly • Here We Go Yo Ho • I Can Fly • A Friend in Never Land • Belay • Hook's Hooks • Gold Doubloons • Work to Get Bucky • Our Ship Be Better • Hook on Ice! • Mama Hook • Pirate Rock Recipe • The Codfish Reel • Jolly Roger • Me Pirate Mom • Rattle Yer Bones • Hook's Hookity-Hook! • Spyglass • Putt Putt • The Legend of the Golden Smee • Where the Rainbow Lands • Pirate Island Hideout • Sea Legs • Swamp Stomp • Tiki Tree Limbo • Blue as the Deep Blue Sea • Fetch that Pirate Pup • Hammock Song • King Crab • Sneaky Le Beak • Down in the Bubbly Blue • Lead the Way Jake • What Be Your Treasure Wish • What Be Your Treasure Wish (Reprise) • Runaway Kitty • Sneezy Genie • X • Starfish Serenade • London Ahoy • Never Land Ahoy • Little Lobster Girl • Walkin' the Plank • Golden Tree • I'm a Pirate Princess • Destroy the Book • Bucky Will Be Mine • The Legendary Captain Flynn • What Makes a Hero • Hail to the Legion of Pirate Villains • Once Upon a Time
Other
The Forever Sword • Pixie Dust • Team Treasure Chest • Fairy Rock • Rainbow Wand • Captain Hook's Hooks • Sword of Destiny • Never Sands of Time • Mega-Mecha Sword • The Golden Smee • Heart of Coldness • Crocodile Crown
