Part of the magic of John Carpenter’s legendary 1982 sci-fi horror film *The Thing* is that the ending is left ambiguous. For the past 43 years, fans have speculated whether R.J. MacReady, portrayed by Kurt Russell, or Childs, played by Keith David, transforms into the movie’s central monster at the end. Carpenter intentionally left fans guessing with no clues—until now.
At a special 4K screening of *The Thing* at the David Geffen Theater in Los Angeles on March 22, Carpenter revealed to director Bong Joon Ho that a “giant hint” in the middle of the film indicates who turns into The Thing at the end. He humorously added that he would share this coveted information with anyone who sent an undisclosed sum of money “in an envelope to my house.”
Carpenter also disclosed that the actors themselves were kept in the dark about who would ultimately become The Thing. “They had no clue,” he 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 (not to be confused with the MCU's Joe Russo) shared his theory on X / Twitter. He believes he found the hint Carpenter mentioned. Russo pointed out that MacReady learns the creature can replicate at the cellular level, suggesting they should only consume items they alone have touched. Yet, MacReady shares his liquor with Childs at the film's end. Russo theorizes this indicates MacReady is The Thing, as sharing the bottle could mean the creature has won by infecting its most skeptical opponent. “As soon as Childs drinks from the bottle, The Thing has won,” Russo asserts. “It’s beaten its most skeptical, final threat.”
Carpenter's film masterfully ends without confirming Russo's theory. However, Russo provided further evidence by analyzing the film's last line, "Why don't we just wait here for a little while, see what happens?" He suggests this line aligns perfectly if MacReady has already become The Thing. Additionally, Russo questions the scene where MacReady kills The Thing, proposing that 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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Some fans found Russo’s theory convincing, while others remained convinced that Childs is the creature. One fan commented, "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 which theory one subscribes to, Carpenter's revelation and Russo's analysis provide fresh perspectives on a film that continues to captivate audiences decades later. Carpenter's ongoing engagement with fans demonstrates his enduring impact on the horror genre.
