The enduring mystery of John Carpenter's iconic 1982 sci-fi horror film, The Thing, lies in its ambiguous ending. For 43 years, fans have speculated about whether R.J. MacReady, portrayed by Kurt Russell, or Childs, played by Keith David, transforms into the film's titular monster. Carpenter deliberately left audiences without 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 director Bong Joon Ho that there's a "giant hint" hidden in the middle of the film that indicates who becomes The Thing at the end. In a humorous twist, he added that he would disclose this secret to anyone willing to send an undisclosed sum of money "in an envelope to my house."

Carpenter also revealed that even the actors were kept in the dark about the true identity of The Thing. "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 social media platform X / Twitter. Russo pointed out a crucial detail: MacReady is informed that the creature can replicate at the cellular level, suggesting that they should only consume items they've personally handled. Despite this, MacReady shares his liquor with Childs in the film's final scene. Russo theorizes that this act could indicate MacReady's transformation into The Thing, as sharing the bottle would allow the creature to spread. "As soon as Childs drinks from the bottle, The Thing has won," Russo stated. "It's beaten its most skeptical, final threat."

While Carpenter's film masterfully ends without confirming this theory, Russo provided additional evidence. He highlighted the film's last line, "Why don't we just wait here for a little while, see what happens?" as fitting if MacReady were 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?"

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The fanbase is divided on this theory. Some are convinced by Russo's analysis, while others maintain that Childs is the one who turns into The Thing, citing his mysterious absence leading up to the final scene. A 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 the debate, this theory adds another layer to the film's enduring mystery. Carpenter continues to captivate and engage fans decades later, and we're fortunate to receive these intriguing insights into his work.