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

One of the enduring mysteries of John Carpenter's iconic 1982 sci-fi horror film, *The Thing*, is its ambiguous ending. For 43 years, fans have speculated whether R.J. MacReady, portrayed by Kurt Russell, or Childs, played by Keith David, transforms into the film's central monster. Carpenter deliberately left fans in suspense, offering no definitive clues—until a recent revelation.

During a special 4K screening of *The Thing* at the David Geffen Theater in Los Angeles on March 22, Carpenter disclosed to director Bong Joon Ho that a "giant hint" embedded in the middle of the film points to who ultimately becomes The Thing. In a light-hearted moment, Carpenter jokingly suggested he'd reveal this secret to anyone who sent an undisclosed sum of money "in an envelope to my house."

Carpenter also shared with the audience that 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) shared his theory on X / Twitter, claiming to have uncovered the hinted clue. Russo pointed out that MacReady learns the creature can replicate at the cellular level, suggesting they should only consume food or drink they've personally handled. Yet, at the film's end, MacReady shares his liquor with Childs. Russo theorizes this indicates MacReady might be The Thing, suggesting, "As soon as Childs drinks from the bottle, The Thing has won. It's beaten its most skeptical, final threat."

Carpenter's film masterfully leaves this unresolved, but Russo provided additional support for his theory. He highlighted the film's final line, "Why don't we just wait here for a little while, see what happens?" as fitting if MacReady has already turned. Russo also questioned the scene where MacReady kills what appears to be 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 maintained their belief that Childs is 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 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, providing tantalizing tidbits of his creative genius.