The enduring mystery of John Carpenter's iconic 1982 sci-fi horror film, *The Thing*, has kept fans on the edge of their seats for 43 years. The film's ambiguous ending leaves viewers guessing whether R.J. MacReady, portrayed by Kurt Russell, or Childs, played by Keith David, transforms into the alien monster. Carpenter masterfully kept the suspense alive, offering no concrete clues—until a recent revelation at a special 4K screening at the David Geffen Theater in Los Angeles on March 22, hosted by Parasite and Mickey 17 director Bong Joon Ho.
Carpenter hinted that a "giant hint" hidden in the middle of the film could reveal the true identity of The Thing at the movie's end. In a playful twist, he suggested he might share this coveted secret for an undisclosed sum of money sent directly to his home. He also disclosed that even the actors, Kurt Russell and Keith David, were kept in the dark about their characters' fates. "They had no clue," Carpenter 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 learns the creature can replicate at a cellular level, suggesting that for safety, they should only consume items they've personally handled. Yet, in the film's closing moments, MacReady shares his liquor with Childs. Russo theorizes this could indicate MacReady is The Thing, as sharing the bottle would allow the creature to infect Childs. "As soon as Childs drinks from the bottle, The Thing has won," Russo stated. "It’s beaten its most skeptical, final threat."
Carpenter's genius lies in leaving the ending open to interpretation, but 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 fitting if MacReady is already The Thing. Russo's thread also suggests that the scene where MacReady kills what appears to be The Thing might actually show a superior imitation killing a lesser one to better infiltrate society upon rescue.
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The theory has stirred debate among fans. Some are convinced by Russo's analysis, while others maintain that Childs is the creature, citing his unaccounted-for absence before the final scene. "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," a fan argued. 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, Carpenter's ability to continue engaging and surprising fans decades later is a testament to his storytelling prowess. His ongoing insights provide a delightful addition to the legacy of *The Thing*.
