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

Part of the enduring allure of John Carpenter's iconic 1982 sci-fi horror film, *The Thing*, lies in its enigmatic ending. For over four decades, fans have speculated whether R.J. MacReady, portrayed by Kurt Russell, or Childs, played by Keith David, transforms into the film's titular monster at the end. Carpenter deliberately left the conclusion open-ended, providing no clear answers—until a recent revelation.

During a special 4K screening of *The Thing* at the David Geffen Theater in Los Angeles on March 22, Carpenter shared with *Parasite* and *Mickey 17* director Bong Joon Ho that there's a "giant hint" embedded in the film's middle that indicates who ultimately becomes The Thing. In a playful twist, Carpenter humorously added that he'd reveal this secret to anyone who sent him an undisclosed sum of money "in an envelope to my house."

Carpenter also disclosed to the audience that the actors were kept in the dark about their characters' fates. "They had no clue," he said. "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) took to X / Twitter to share his theory about the hinted clue. Russo pointed out that MacReady is informed about the creature's ability to replicate at the cellular level, emphasizing the need for characters to only consume items they've personally handled. Yet, at the film's end, MacReady shares his liquor with Childs. Russo suggests this act could mean MacReady, who should know better, is The Thing. "As soon as Childs drinks from the bottle, The Thing has won," Russo asserts. "It’s beaten its most skeptical, final threat."

The genius of Carpenter's film is that it concludes without confirming any of these theories. However, Russo offers additional evidence, citing 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 speculates on a scene where MacReady kills The Thing, suggesting viewers might have seen "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 turns into The Thing. "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 on the thread. Russo responded, "Carpenter said both actors don't know... Childs always felt like a red herring to me."

Regardless of the ongoing debate, Carpenter's ability to keep fans engaged and theorizing decades later is a testament to his storytelling prowess. Fans continue to benefit from his occasional insights, keeping the mystery of *The Thing* alive and well.