Paddington in Peru was a charming family film, but the third movie’s ending was the first time that the popular family franchise made a misstep. Originally created by British children’s author, Michael Bond, in the 1950s, the marmalade-loving bear has been an integral part of U.K. popular culture for more than half a century. However, it wasn’t until he starred in his very first feature film in 2014 that Paddington became an international superstar. The first film was followed by a sequel in 2017, and yet another follow-up in 2024 with Paddington in Peru.

The third Paddington film had a noticeably lower score from critics, but was still an excellent addition to the family film genre. The bear in the blue coat traveled with the Browns to Peru in order to visit his Aunt Lucy, but what they got was a jungle adventure that brought them together for one last trip before the Brown children went off to become adults. The ending of Paddington in Peru paid off many supporting characters’ storylines that had been building throughout the film, but Paddington himself seemed to get the short end of the stick.

Paddington In Peru’s Ending Ignores Paddington’s Parents

The Third Movie Retcons Paddington’s Origins But Leaves Out Key Details

After spending the whole movie looking for Aunt Lucy alongside characters who were simultaneously looking for El Dorado, Paddington finally found his aunt, and the mythical city too. Paddington learned that El Dorado was actually a sanctuary for his bear species, and that they had been living there in secret while harvesting mᴀssive amounts of oranges. This helped to explain why Paddington has such a fixation on marmalade, but it also mᴀssively retconned his origins by insinuating that he was never completely orphaned at all. This forces Paddington to make a tough choice between the bears or the Browns.

It’s still implied that Paddington’s biological parents are ᴅᴇᴀᴅ, but it gives him a community within El Dorado that he never thought he had. This heartwarming twist adds depth to Paddington’s character arc, and cleverly pays off his sudden obsession with “being a British subject” that was set up earlier in the movie. However, the ending still felt like it was hiding something from the viewer, and was incomplete via omission. Presumably, someone in the bear village would be related to Paddington, or would simply be able to tell him something about his parents that he didn’t already know.

Instead, Paddington in Peru opts to pretend like they didn’t even exist, something that is totally unlike the film trilogy that has never strayed away from the darker aspects of Paddington’s life. Paddington is immediately welcomed by all the bears, but there is no scene in which he learns anything new from them. It’s ᴀssumed that they don’t speak English, unlike Aunt Lucy, but the film could have easily translated the conversation from bear language. This could have softened the emotional blow for younger viewers while delivering key information to older audiences.

Why Paddington In Peru Left Out Paddington’s Parents

They Could Be Setting Up Another Sequel Twist

The most obvious reason for ignoring Paddington’s parents in Paddington in Peru is that the screenwriters are setting up a fourth film. With Paddington 4 already confirmed, the third film probably didn’t want to close too many doors in case they needed something new to throw at the audience. Each movie has revealed a little bit more about Paddington and his origins, and it could be that an even bigger twist is on the horizon. If Paddington’s biological parents were actually alive, that would be the biggest shock of all, but it would also have mᴀssive story implications.

The Paddington film franchise includes:

Paddington’s choice between the bears and the Browns wasn’t easy, and it illustrated his growth and maturity as he chose to stick with his found family. If Paddington’s parents were revealed to be alive, that choice would have been exponentially harder, and it wouldn’t have made much sense if he chose the Browns. However, if the fourth film shows Paddington growing up even more, the revelation that his parents are alive wouldn’t put him in as difficult a position.

Besides the story, another reason that Paddington’s parents were left out of the ending was that it might have been too difficult to face the subject of their mortality head-on. The series has never skirted around tough subjects, but a scene in which the lovable little bear must face the harsh reality of his parents’ deaths is probably a bridge too far. Unfortunately, this robs Paddington in Peru of a lot of gravity because the film set something up that they were unable to pay off. Even the darkest subjects can be tackled in children’s media, but it requires a deft hand.