John Carpenter Reveals There's a 'Hint' About Who Turns Into The Thing — And This Fan May Have Worked the Whole Thing Out

Part of the enduring allure of John Carpenter’s iconic 1982 sci-fi horror film, *The Thing*, lies in its deliberately ambiguous ending. For over four decades, fans have speculated on whether R.J. MacReady, portrayed by Kurt Russell, or Childs, played by Keith David, transforms into the film's titular monster. Carpenter masterfully kept the ending open-ended, leaving no clear clues—until recently.

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 a "giant hint" hidden in the film's middle that points to the true identity of The Thing at the end. In a playful twist, Carpenter quipped that he would reveal this secret to anyone willing to send an unspecified amount of money "in an envelope to my house."

Carpenter also disclosed that even the actors were kept in the dark about the final transformation. "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 (distinct from the MCU's Joe Russo) shared his interpretation of the hinted clue on X / Twitter. Russo pointed out that MacReady is informed of the creature's ability to replicate at a cellular level, which necessitates consuming only items they have personally handled. Yet, at the film's conclusion, MacReady shares his liquor with Childs. Russo theorizes that this action suggests MacReady may have forgotten this critical detail, or more intriguingly, that he is The Thing. "As soon as Childs drinks from the bottle, The Thing has won," Russo posits. "It’s beaten its most skeptical, final threat."

The genius of Carpenter's film is that it concludes without confirming Russo's theory. However, Russo provides additional support by analyzing the film's final line, "Why don't we just wait here for a little while, see what happens?" This line, he argues, aligns perfectly with the scenario if MacReady has already transformed into The Thing. Russo's thread also suggests an alternative view of a key scene: "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 remains divided on Russo's theory. Some are convinced by the evidence, while others hold firm to the belief that 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 continues to captivate and engage fans with his storytelling, even years after the film's release. We're fortunate to still receive these intriguing insights from the master of horror.