A significant part of the allure of John Carpenter's iconic 1982 sci-fi horror film, *The Thing*, lies in its enigmatic ending. For 43 years, fans have speculated whether R.J. MacReady, portrayed by Kurt Russell, or Childs, portrayed by Keith David, transforms into the film's titular monster. Carpenter deliberately kept the audience in the dark, providing no definitive answers—until a recent revelation.
At a special 4K screening of *The Thing* at the David Geffen Theater in Los Angeles on March 22, Carpenter shared with director Bong Joon Ho that there is a "giant hint" embedded in the middle of the film that hints at who turns into The Thing by the end. In a playful twist, Carpenter added that he would disclose this secret to anyone who sent him an undisclosed sum of money "in an envelope to my house."
Carpenter also revealed that even the actors were left in the dark about the ultimate fate of their characters. "They had no clue," he confessed. "But they had to play it human, you see. The creature imitates perfectly. It could be one of us, it could be somebody in the audience, and there's no way of telling. So I knew, they didn't know."
Following the screening, indie director Joe Russo (not to be confused with the MCU's Joe Russo) shared his theory on X / Twitter, suggesting he had uncovered the hint Carpenter mentioned. Russo pointed out that MacReady learns that the creature can replicate at the cellular level, meaning they should only consume items they've personally handled. Yet, at the film's end, MacReady shares his liquor with Childs. Russo theorizes that this action could imply MacReady, having forgotten this crucial detail, is actually The Thing. "As soon as Childs drinks from the bottle, The Thing has won," Russo asserts. "It's beaten its most skeptical, final threat."
Carpenter's genius lies in leaving the ending open-ended, but Russo's theory finds further support in the film's final line: "Why don't we just wait here for a little while, see what happens?" This statement aligns with the scenario if MacReady is already The Thing. Russo's thread also speculates on the scene where MacReady kills The Thing, suggesting viewers might have witnessed "a BETTER imitation kill a POORER imitation because it had a better chance of infiltrating society upon rescue."
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While some fans found Russo's theory compelling, others remained convinced that Childs is the one who becomes the creature. "I still think it's Childs because we don't know his whereabouts for a long time heading into the final scene. But Keith David will tell you he's 100% not The Thing," one fan commented. Russo responded, "Carpenter said both actors don't know... Childs always felt like a red herring to me."
Regardless of where one stands on the theory, it's clear that Carpenter continues to captivate and engage fans decades later, offering tantalizing glimpses into his creative process and the mysteries of *The Thing*.
