John Carpenter Hints at 'The Thing' Identity, Fan Solves Mystery

John Carpenter's iconic 1982 sci-fi horror film, The Thing, has left fans pondering its ambiguous ending for over four decades. The central question revolves around whether R.J. MacReady, portrayed by Kurt Russell, or Childs, portrayed by Keith David, transforms into the film's titular monster. Carpenter, the mastermind behind the film, has kept fans guessing without any definitive clues—until a recent revelation at a special 4K screening of The Thing at the David Geffen Theater in Los Angeles on March 22.

During the screening, Carpenter disclosed to director Bong Joon Ho that there is a "giant hint" embedded in the middle of the film that hints at who becomes The Thing at the end. In a playful twist, Carpenter added that he would reveal this coveted information to anyone willing to send an undisclosed sum of money "in an envelope to my house." He also shared that the actors themselves were kept in the dark about their characters' fates. "They had no clue," Carpenter admitted. "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 (distinct from the MCU's Joe Russo) took to X / Twitter to share his theory on the hinted clue. Russo pointed out that MacReady learns the creature can replicate at the cellular level, implying they should only consume food and drink they've handled themselves. Yet, MacReady shares his liquor with Childs at the film's end. Russo theorizes that this action suggests MacReady might be The Thing, as sharing the bottle could mean the creature has already won by infecting its last threat. "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 unconfirmed, yet Russo provides additional support for his theory. He highlights the film's final line—"Why don't we just wait here for a little while, see what happens?"—as particularly fitting if MacReady is already The Thing. Russo's thread also suggests that the scene where MacReady kills The Thing might depict a superior imitation eliminating an inferior one, thereby enhancing its chances of infiltrating society upon rescue.

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While some fans find Russo's theory compelling, others maintain that Childs is the one who turns into the creature. One fan argued, "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." Russo countered, "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 even after all these years, offering tantalizing bits of insight into his enduring masterpiece.