Tamal Kundu
The Disney+ series ‘The Santa Clauses’ is a sequel to the original three ‘Santa Clause’ films. The first one, ‘The Santa Clause,’ came out in 1994, followed by ‘The Santa Clause 2’ in 2002 and ‘The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause’ in 2006. These three Christmas comedy films are some of the best examples of the holiday movie genre, and Tim Allen’s generous performance as Santa Claus truly elevates the films to a different level.
However, Allen’s character, Scott Calvin, hasn’t always been the Santa we know and love. The first movie is about how Scott inherits the mantle of Santa Claus and rises to the occasion to make children worldwide happy. Now, after 28 years, as Scott announces his upcoming retirement, some of you might be wondering what happened to the Santa before him. Here is what you need to know about it. SPOILERS AHEAD.
The Mystery of the Previous Santa
As we are yet to get the actual name of the Santa before Scott, let us call him the previous Santa. At the start of the first film, Scott is a successful toy salesman. He is divorced from his former wife, Laura, who has since remarried. Scott and Laura have a son together, Charlie. As the holiday season approaches, Scott becomes genuinely excited about spending Christmas Eve with his son. Like many children of his age, Charlie still believes in Santa, much to the disapproval of Laura and her second husband. Even though Scott himself no longer believes in Santa, he doesn’t want his son to lose that innocent part of him this soon.
On Christmas Eve, the father and son witness the death of the previous Santa Claus. Soon, the dead body vanishes, leaving the red suit the previous Santa was wearing behind. Scott finds a business card with the following words: “If something should happen to me, put on my suit. The Reindeer will know what to do.” Scott decides to follow the instructions and puts on the suit, spending the rest of the night distributing gifts among children across the world.
After Scott is done, the Reindeer take him to the North Pole, where he learns that by putting on the red suit, he has inadvertently agreed to the implementation of The Santa Clause, which stipulates that he must take up the responsibility as the next Santa Claus. Bernard, the head elf at the North Pole, tells him to get his affairs in order so he can return 11 months later and accept the mantle of Santa Claus. Although Scott is initially reluctant, he eventually comes to embrace his role.
The Curious Case of the Previous Santa
No one really killed the previous Santa, but Scott accidentally caused his death. After realizing that someone is on the roof of his house, Scott comes out to address the man in a red suit standing on the roof. This turns out to be the previous Santa. Scott’s sudden words spook him, and he falls to his death.
In the Disney+ series, when the talks of his retirement begin to circulate, Scott tells his wife that he didn’t even know he could do that. He always thought he would have to die just like his predecessor did.
Read More: Why Is Scott Losing Magic in The Santa Clauses? Theories
