Ever since movies became a thing, fan discussion flowed after the credits rolled. Sure, some films are pretty simple and don’t really hide anything deeper than what’s shown from frame to frame. However, there are still those that get our minds wondering. From classic films such as The Wizard of Oz to modern marvels like John Wick, fan interpretations of these films are aplenty and can range from plausible to outright insane.
If you’re ready to watch your favorite films transform before your eyes, this article is for you.
Read on as we present a collection of the boldest, most brilliant fan theories that may change the way you see these movies!
The Adam Sandler Cinematic Universe
In an act of sheer dedication, one Adam Sandler fan took it upon himself to watch every single one of the comedian’s films, including those involving Rob Schneider. Afterward, he theorized that every single one of them is set in the same universe.
As to how such a theory is possible, the answer may be simple: Adam Sandler likes to make references to his other characters in his films. The idea of a world filled with many guys who act just like him is terrifying to think about.
Jurassic Fakes
Seeing prehistoric wonders brought to life by Steven Spielberg in Jurassic Park is nothing short of awe-inspiring. However, one theory suggests a very disturbing implication: The dinosaurs in the story probably weren’t brought to life using dinosaur DNA.
As a matter of fact, they might have been born from a mish-mash of animal parts. The process might have been perfected to the point where they were able to make their creatures indistinguishable from actual dinosaurs. It’s possible, but is it really worth worrying about?
May The Force Call Home
The titular character E.T. might actually wield the force, according to a fan theory. After all, he has psychic powers like levitating objects and telepathic communication. Heck, even aliens that look like him were central to Star Wars Episode I!
Since E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial came out a few years after Star Wars, does this imply that E.T. is secretly part of the franchise as well? Perhaps it’s part of a multiverse. Either way, you can’t deny that E.T. would make a good Jedi!
Why So Serious, Soldier?
While it isn’t obvious, one fan has theorized that the Joker from The Dark Knight trilogy might have had military experience. After all, it is possible that the Joker’s insanity may have stemmed from PTSD, which is common among military veterans.
Behavioral issues aside, this iconic Batman villain possesses skills usually only seen in soldiers and was even able to hold his own against the titular hero. The fact that the Joker was able to pull off a bank heist means he’s capable of calculating and executing complex missions.
John_Wick.exe
There is an ongoing theory that John Wick secretly takes place after The Matrix, but someone has recently taken it up a notch. The theory? John Wick is actually a training program. Just like Path of Neo, John Wick is us witnessing Neo learning combat.
There are things that support this theory: First, Laurence Fishburne has been present in both movie series. Second, the civilians of John Wick don’t seem bothered by all the action. Lastly, John Wick uses a special currency, which is indicative of a virtual universe.
Rolling A 20 For Family
Around 20 years ago, The Fast And The Furious premiered. From one film, it has grown into a hugely successful franchise. As it spawned numerous sequels, some fans suggested that the whole movie series is basically Dungeons & Dragons but with cars.
The cars in the series have done unusual stuff like break big falls. Additionally, Dominic Toretto’s emphasis on “family” seems to mirror being an adventuring party. It also helps that lead actor Vin Diesel is a big DnD fan.
A Case With Soul
The much-coveted golden briefcase was the driving force of the plot of the 1994 film Pulp Fiction. Its contents were never shown to the audience. All we see is Vince Vega opening it and staring in awe as its contents bathe his face in a golden glow. This mysterious case has spawned a lot of debate.
The theory about the briefcase was that it supposedly contained the soul of Marsellus Wallace, judging by the eerie glow when it was opened. However, the original script revealed that the briefcase simply contained diamonds, specifically, the diamonds from Reservoir Dogs.
Codename: Bond
It’s currently accepted that multiple actors have been and will be portraying the titular character of the James Bond franchise, with each storyline focusing on separate events. However, what if the character “James Bond” is merely a codename given to multiple individuals?
This theory actually makes a lot of sense if you think about it. After all, why would a secret agent flaunt his name around villains, right? Also, no one seems to question why he evades mortality after going on so many missions.
Rise Of The Robo-Messiah
If you are well-versed in the story of Jesus, then the plot of Robocop might ring a bell to you. Why? Let’s lay it all out: The main character was killed in his prime and then brought back to life in order to rid the world of evil.
Because of this, the titular character has been described as messianic by both critics and fans. Even director Paul Verhoeven is very receptive to the idea. Now, all that’s missing is for Robocop to convert water into wine.
The Frozen, Tangled Mermaid
Disney loves to sprinkle easter eggs in each of its films, and some end up being the subject of fan theories. Frozen is the perfect example, as it has apparent connections with Tangled and possibly even The Little Mermaid.
Basically, Anna and Elsa’s parents were supposed to attend the return of Rapunzel, but they died at sea, which led to the shipwreck in The Little Mermaid. In the same movie, two individuals resembling Flynn and Rapunzel are seen attending Elsa’s coronation. Could all these storylines be entangled?
Nemo Not Found
Finding Nemo is an early 2000s film about a father named Marlin traveling miles to rescue his son. What if we told you that “Nemo” doesn’t actually exist? Nemo is Latin for “nobody,” literally making the title Finding Nobody.
If anything, this “Nemo” might actually represent Marlin’s grief over losing his entire family to a barracuda. Plus, some eagle-eyed viewers even managed to spot the Five Stages of Grief over the course of his journey. Perhaps there’s a darker angle to this family-friendly film!
The Cursed Child
The Dursleys were well-known to have a hatred and resentment of Harry Potter, possibly out of envy. However, there is one theory that may double down on their cruelty. Warning: this theory may trigger a lot of fans, but please hear us out.
We all know that Harry was a Horcrux, right? Maybe the poisonous aura he emitted was corrupting the family for a long time. After all, Ron was corrupted by wearing a Horcrux for a couple of weeks, so the Dursleys might have suffered the same fate.
Jimmy Neutron: Manmade Genius
Leave it to the internet to flip your childhood upside-down – they’ve got a crazy theory about Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius. Before the events of the TV series, it was established that Jimmy had been creating dangerous inventions for quite some time. So why didn’t anyone try stopping him?
The answer might be that he and the other kids are part of a government experiment. Maybe Jimmy and his pals are genetically-engineered super children, and these so-called “parents” are hired, actors. After all, real parents would stop their children from doing dangerous stuff.
Tony And Peter’s History
While Iron Man 2 wasn’t exactly a hard-hitting entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it still made theorists believe one of Tony Stark’s actions may have led to the creation of one of the most popular characters to grace the MCU: Spider-Man.
Before the hero’s debut, there was a kid wearing an Iron Man Mask, and Stark saved his life. This led fans to believe that the kid was actually Peter Parker, and that incident inspired him to create his own superhero persona.
The Future Of Self-Driving Cars
The fan theory of all Disney-Pixar films sharing the same universe has been a thing for quite some time, and Cars is no exception. That said, it’s troubling to think that the movie takes place so far in the future that Wall-E’s events are now ancient history.
While it doesn’t confirm any connection between the other films, it was revealed that there were no humans remaining after the cars became sentient and “replaced” them. If you think that’s just too farfetched, we need to let you know that this comes directly from Jay Ward, the movie’s creative director. It seems Pixar is convinced that AI will eventually take over our planet!
Up Into Paradise
Disney-Pixar films always hit hard, but few have had the impact of Up. Some fans theorize that Carl was already dead by the time he “left” for Paradise Falls, and his arrival there means he is in the afterlife.
As for Russell, he’s not actually a boy scout trying to get his last badge. Instead, he is an angel trying to earn his wings by helping people like Carl cross over safely. Meanwhile, the antagonist might be a fallen angel bent on dragging Carl down with him.
A Simulation Within A Simulation
While the sequels to The Matrix were met with a cold reception, that didn’t stop fan theorists from coming up with something cool. Though Neo ostensibly managed to exit the titular location, some fans believe that he never left at all.
How else could you explain Neo keeping his Matrix-exclusive abilities in the “real world”? Also, don’t forget that, somehow, Agent Smith was able to possess a living human to try and stop him. That would make far more sense if they were, in reality, still in the Matrix.
The Vulcan Detective
It’s established that Star Trek icon Spock is a Vulcan-Human hybrid, so it follows that there’s a theory out there regarding his human ancestry. In fact, some believe that he is actually a descendant of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes.
According to Spock’s quote about his ancestor in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, “If you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.” It doesn’t take a detective to connect those dots!
A Never-Ending Dream
The ending to Christopher Nolan’s Inception has got to be one of the most obscure in recent memory. After all, this movie was about dreams within dreams, so some believe that Cobb, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, is still in a dream.
Many have questioned if he was living a happy ending with his children, but there was a big giveaway: Cobb is no longer wearing his wedding ring. Whether it’s a dream or reality, Cobb seems content with where he is.
The Real Wicked Witch Of The East
Ever since its release in 1939, The Wizard of Oz has spawned numerous fan theories. Themes such as feminism and populism were apparently present, with the film serving as a parable of sorts.
However, one fan theory definitely stuck out: Maybe the Wicked Witch of the East is actually Dorothy herself, or rather a doppelganger. After all, it’s been shown that the people she met in her adventure are alternate versions of the ones she knew in real life.
The Alternate Victor Of The Revolutionary War
It’s been theorized that The Hunger Games is actually a what-if scenario of the outcome of the real-life revolutionary war between the U.S. and Britain. Basically, the premise of the movie shows a fanciful depiction of what might have happened if Britain continued ruling over the U.S. with an iron fist.
The 13 districts mirror the real-life 13 colonies of the nascent nation, with District 13 destroyed in order to intimidate the remaining 12. The titular annual event is perhaps a way for the British to instill fear and cement its control over its colonies.
The Tim Burton Trilogy
In another echo of the Cinematic Universe trend popularized by Marvel, fans have connected three of Tim Burton’s films: The Corpse Bride, Frankenweenie, and Nightmare Before Christmas. The point of connection? All three films have a main character who owns a dog.
What helps is the fact that these three films have a gothic theatrical style, causing some sort of resemblance between the characters. Perhaps Victor Frankenstein, Victor Van Dort, and Jack Skellington are connected to Cloud Atlas style. After all, they’re skinny lookalikes who love their dogs dearly.
The Name’s Bond – John Bond
John Mason, the protagonist of the 1996 film The Rock, was an ex-intelligence officer from Britain and the only person to escape Alcatraz. Some audiences believe that he might actually be James Bond, who was imprisoned for clandestine reasons.
Going from our previous post on the Bonds, it’s fun to think that Mason would go out for his final mission before retiring his codename and riding off into the sunset. In fact, “John Mason” doesn’t exist in government records, further fueling this theory.
Time Travel Or Bust
In Back to the Future, Marty McFly and Doc first test the DeLorean, with the former driving it towards the latter. This scene led some fans to theorize that Doc was suffering from extreme depression. How else can you explain his haggard appearance?
Perhaps the time machine vehicle was Doc trying to give meaning to his life. Maybe he doesn’t care if it works or not, and that sounds pretty dark if you ask us. Either way, it’s not as bad as living a boring, fruitless life, right?
Meesa Executing Order 66
The Star Wars film series has spawned lots of fan theories since its inception, but few are as far-fetched and crazy as the one surrounding Jar Jar Binks, one of the most hated characters in the franchise. Someone theorized that he is secretly a Sith Lord.
Why would someone come up with something so outlandish? Perhaps the clues are Jar Jar using Jedi hand gestures and spending a lot of time with Palpatine. Maybe people who love to hate him just want a valid reason for their dark feelings about the CGI character.
Master Of Child Abduction
There has been a strange theory circulating about the titular character from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. The theory is that Wonka abducts children and uses them to create his iconic confectioneries. Some fans became suspicious that he actually knows which children will be eliminated.
It doesn’t help that it was shown that the number of seats in the tour vehicle always matches the number of guests, even if some were eliminated along the way. Making things worse is the musical numbers that accompany each disappearance.
Warhammer 40k: The Prequel
For those who aren’t familiar, Warhammer 40k is a tabletop game taking place a few thousand years in the future. One movie that fans have tied to the game is Event Horizon, which involves a spaceship re-emerging from a hellish dimension.
Warhammer 40k features a Warp-Drive that takes passengers through a dimension ruled by these so-called Chaos Gods. Coincidentally, the film also featured this tech and the consequences of that kind of travel. Does this all mean that the film is a prelude to the tabletop game?
The Dark Knight Finally Rises
By the end of The Dark Knight Rises, Batman seemingly sacrifices himself by carrying an explosive as far away from Gotham as possible. A few scenes later, Alfred bumps into Bruce during his stay in Italy, confirming he is still alive.
Some fans, however, believed that Alfred was just imagining things since Bruce himself said that he’d never walk away from being Batman. Regardless of whether he survives or not, Batman’s final act of heroism for Gotham is an excellent way to cap off the trilogy.
The Real Perfect AI
The sci-fi movie Ex Machina isn’t exactly on the mainstream radar, but it is beloved by critics. That said, it is believed that Ava was the perfect AI. However, viewers have noticed that she doesn’t seem to show any kind of emotion at all.
Kyoko, on the other hand, was shown to be quite expressive, even helping Ava kill her master, Nathan. Her emotions and assistance have led many to speculate that she may be the actual Perfect AI that Nathan wanted to test.
Ghostbusted Into The Afterlife
The first Ghostbusters film established the lore that “crossing the stream” can prove fatal. Because of this, some fans believe that Venkman and the others have already died and are in purgatory in the second film.
Some evidence supporting this is that nobody seems to remember their heroic actions from the previous film. Going by this logic, we can say that the people were actually honoring their martyrdom after they banished Gozer back to its home.
Aladdin A.D.
By looks alone, the movie Aladdin definitely takes place in the Middle East in ancient times – or so we think! It is theorized that the events of the film actually take place in the far future, somewhere in a post-apocalyptic wasteland.
After all, Genie claims he’s been imprisoned for 10,000 years, and he’s chock-full of pop culture references! In the video game adaptation, you could even see a stop sign buried in the desert sands. Perhaps it’s a relic from a lost age – our age.
Tall Hobbit Tales
Tolkien fans praised director Peter Jackson for his adaptation of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. However, they were befuddled when he decided to create The Hobbit trilogy. After all, the original book was pretty short, so it’s understandable for fans to be confused.
One theory explains that the events were nothing more than an embellishment by Bilbo Baggins himself. It is plausible since the hobbit is known less for being daring and adventurous and more for jazzing up his stories.
Peter The Reaper
It has been alleged that the titular character of Peter Pan actually leads children to the afterlife – a place he calls Neverland. How else could you explain the residents of Neverland remaining as youthful as ever? Maybe Peter Pan might actually be an angel of death.
Supporting this theory is the fact that the author of the sourcebook, J.M. Barrie, used to tell stories to terminally ill children to cheer them up. Additionally, he posthumously donated all future royalties from the book to the Great Ormond Street Hospital, which is a children’s hospital.
Beauty And The Jungle Beast
In another case of Disney films being somewhat connected, it is theorized that Jane from Tarzan is a descendant of Belle from Beauty and the Beast. It may sound bonkers, but analysis has shown that the two have similarities: yellow dresses and preferences for wild men.
One scene in Tarzan shows that Jane has a teapot resembling Mrs. Pots. You can spot the teapot while the gorillas are messing around in her camp. Antiques like those aren’t just passed around to anyone. Instead, it makes sense that Mrs. Pots might be an heirloom of Jane’s family.
Queen Of Deceit
The Disney film connections keep coming, but this time it’s between the Queen of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Mother Gothel from Tangled! Considering that the Queen’s fate was left ambiguous, this theory may have some credibility.
It’s possible that she may have faked her death and set aside her ambitions, for the time being, eventually re-emerging as Mother Gothel. It also helps that both villains like to wear black, are obsessed with youth, and feign motherly love for their victims.
Like Mother, Like Son
In the second Toy Story film, cowgirl Jessie’s backstory is about being abandoned by her ex-owner, Emily. A fan theory states that Emily might actually be Andy’s mom, and the hat he wore might have been passed down from her.
After all, Andy’s mom was never given a proper name, and she seems keen on letting him keep his toys until his early teens. Sadly, Pixar executive Peter Docter debunked this theory, but it doesn’t take away from how good it was!
The True Mastermind Of Home Alone
What if Home Alone’s Harry and Marv were just pawns of a more sinister mastermind? Enter Kevin’s uncle, Frank. Perhaps “accidentally” leaving Kevin behind was part of his master plan to take his brother’s wealth while they were all away.
Another theory states that Peter, Kevin’s father, was actually a member of the mafia. Their wealth and odd behavior seem like giveaways to his true nature. Add in the previous theory, and it looks like Kevin was caught in the middle of a battle for inheritance.
What Witch?
2015 hit flick The Witch tells a relatively simple story about a Puritan family being terrorized by a witch. However, an internet user believes that the film's story is not as straightforward as it seems. Plus, the 1630s setting is ripe for superstition.
To be more specific, maybe there wasn’t any witch in the first place. Also, the family probably suffered from hypothermia and starvation, leading them to hallucinate. Some fans think Samuel actually died from illness and was buried by his mother, Katherine. However, she dealt with her grief by saying he was abducted by a witch.
Sandy Is Actually Dead
In the movie Grease, Danny sings a song recounting how he saved Sandy from drowning at the beginning of the movie. After seeing the duo fly off into what looks like Heaven, many fans theorized that Sandy did actually drown.
Perhaps the events of the film took place in Sandy’s head as she slowly dies, and the events are her thoughts of what her life would’ve been. Sure, Jim Jacobs, author of the book, debunked this, but the driving off to heaven scene says otherwise.
Forrest Gump And Son
Near the film’s end, the title character of Forrest Gump is revealed to be the father of a kid named after him. However, a theory suggests that Gump Jr. isn’t his biological son. After all, Junior is highly intelligent, while his father has below average IQ.
Perhaps his late-wife Jenny lied to him, and her son was from a fling she had before meeting Gump again. Knowing Forrest, she knew that he would believe her and look after the kid in her stead. Regardless of the truth, Junior is definitely in good hands.