Mysterious Man

The Mysterious Man is a character in Into the Woods, and is the father of the Baker.

Act I
Throughout Act I, the Mysterious Man has many interactions with the different characters. The first interaction is with Jack, where he suggests that Jack sells his cow for a sack of beans, rather than what his mother had told him. When Jack is deciding to sell his cow to the Baker and his wife, the Mysterious Man reappears, stating again that he should sell his cow for a sack of beans.

The next time the Baker encounters the Mysterious Man, he steals the Baker's gold that Jack gave him, and questions the Baker's want for a child. When the Mysterious Man reappears, he helps the Baker by retrieving Milky-White, whom the Baker's Wife lost. Unfortunately for the Baker and his wife, Milky-White dies quickly afterwards.

After Milky-White dies, the Baker's Wife sees Cinderella with her slippers as pure as gold, and she fights her for it. The Mysterious Man appears from behind a tree and tries to appease the tension by telling Cinderella that if she gives her the slipper, then a happy end will come. Cinderella gives the Baker's Wife the slipper for the potion, which is now able to be brewed. When the potion is created, the spell on the Baker's Wife's infertility is broken. Along with the spell being broken, all is repaired and the Mysterious Man dies and it is revealed that he is the father of the Baker.

Act II

The Mysterious Man is deceased in Act II, but returns as a spirit to teach the Baker an important lesson. When the Baker thinks of running away from his problems, the Mysterious Man tells him of how awful of an idea that is, stating that running away is exactly what he did when things became rough.

Act I

 * First Midnight (speaking only)
 * Act I Finale

Act II

 * No More
 * Act II Finale

Appearances

 * Into the Woods
 * Into the Woods (movie) (Appear in flashback and spirit)
 * Into the Woods Jr.