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

The enduring mystery of John Carpenter's iconic 1982 sci-fi horror film, *The Thing*, continues to captivate audiences even after 43 years. The film's ambiguous ending, where it's unclear whether R.J. MacReady, portrayed by Kurt Russell, or Childs, played by Keith David, transforms into the alien creature, has been a topic of endless speculation. Carpenter masterfully left fans without any definitive 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 director Bong Joon Ho that a "giant hint" hidden in the middle of the film points to who turns into The Thing at the end. In a playful twist, Carpenter humorously added that he would disclose this secret to anyone willing to send him an undisclosed sum of money "in an envelope to my house."

Carpenter also revealed that even the actors were kept in the dark about their characters' fates. "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) 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, suggesting that for safety, 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 act could indicate MacReady's transformation into The Thing, as sharing the bottle might mean he's no longer concerned about contamination. "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 film's conclusion open-ended, but Russo provides additional evidence to support 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 an alternative interpretation of MacReady killing The Thing: "Did you see that OR… did you watch a BETTER imitation kill a POORER imitation because it had a better chance of infiltrating society upon rescue?"

The 25 Best Horror Movies

26 Images

The fanbase remains divided on Russo's theory. Some are convinced by the evidence, while others believe Childs is the one who turns into 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's ability to keep fans engaged and intrigued decades later is a testament to his storytelling prowess. We're fortunate to continue receiving insights and tidbits from the master of horror himself.