A lot of our favorite movies are nuanced and have underlying themes that are not easy to pick-up on the first time you watch them. Some movie fans may spend a lot of time thinking about their favorite films, and often writers leave plot holes or unfinished storylines to keep us interested. Sometimes these fan theories end these stories off and make amazing sense in the story as a whole. These theories are often so good, they completely change the way we see our favorite movie classics. Keep scrolling to read about some of the most game-changing fan theories about these popular films and franchises.
Toy Story
Anyone who has watched Toy Story knows that Sid was pretty vicious when it came to the toys he destroyed. He had seen them come alive, and he knew that they felt pain, which is why he tortured some of them.
However, in Toy Story 3, there is a garbage man that looks remarkably like a grown-up version of Sid. This garbage man is kind to the toys and spends his time sorting through the garbage and repairing the toys he finds. It is possible that Sid grew up and realized that he was terrorizing the toys, and this is his way of making amends for his past wrongs.
Back To The Future
The cult classic Back To The Future featured a very eccentric character in that of Doc Brown. He had a lot of big ideas that he had trouble executing. The DeLorean was not an immediate success, and because of this, some theorists think he might have been slightly suicidal.
It has been believed that Doc stands in front of the DeLorean and speeds it up because he wants to be taken out by his greatest failure. That is until it becomes his most celebrated success! This also explains why Doc wasn’t worried about the Libians coming back to kill him.
Mary Poppins
Ever wondered how Mary Poppins manages to pull so many large items from her tiny bag? And where do her superpowers come from?
Well, some people believe that it is because, like Dr.Who, Mary Poppins is a time lord and her bag is her T.A.R.D.I.S. Like Dr. Who’s Police box, Mary’s bag is bigger on the inside than it is on the outside. Does that mean she is Dr. Mary Poppins?
Birds of Prey
At the beginning of Birds of Prey, Harley Quinn explains that she and Joker are no more before she then ceremoniously cuts her pig tales. Fans had last seen the Joker at the end of the Suicide Squad movie when Joker was rescuing Harley form jail. But now the Jokers obvious absence from Birds of Prey and Harley’s newfound freedom without him has got fans thinking.
Some fans have argued that Harleys Joker is actually dead. Even worse, some fans think Harley murdered Joker. While it all seems confusing with the latest Joker film being released, it makes sense that the only way Harley and Joker every parted would be if one of them was dead.
Harry Potter and the Dursleys
In the final Harry Potter installment, it was revealed that Harry was himself a Horcrux. In the earlier book, when Harry, Ron, and Hermione run away with the locket, they discover that the Horcrux can change people’s personalities and make them angry and full of hatred.
Some have theorized then that if Harry is a Horcrux, then it makes that the Dursleys were so mean to him. Living with Harry for all those years must have filled them with hatred for Harry, and in reality, they were actually very loving people. Its also why Snape hates Harry.
Fast & Furious
Paul Walker’s passing made this series an ode to all of his work, but that does not mean there aren’t any fan theories surrounding this film franchise as well. Vin Diesel has been an avid Dungeons & Dragons fan for years and these films tend to emulate the game.
In each of the films, the characters are faced with an even more ridiculous storyline than the last. In each new film, the good guys are challenged to defeat an even worse bad guy than in the previous installment. Similar to Dungeons & Dragons, the characters level up and become more experienced as the films go on. Cars are just a lot more marketable than fantastical characters, which is why this might be a modern adaptation. The characters in the movie are just on a modern-day quest.
Frozen and Tarzan
In the Frozen movies, it is revealed that the young princesses lost their parents when their ship sank. This bears similarities to the story of Tarzan because, in the Tarzan film, Tarzan and his parents arrived in the jungle when they are shipwrecked on the nearby shore.
The Tarzan film opens with the families wrecked ship catching fire and Tarzan going to live in the jungle as a result. Because of this similarity, some fans have theorized that Tarzan is Elsa and Anna’s long lost younger brother.
Inception
When Christopher Nolan’s Inception hit theaters, mind-bending special effects like these had never been seen before. However, the main character, Dom, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, has his wedding ring on at the end of the film.
As he navigated the real world, he never wore his ring. Yet, he is at the end. This has made a lot of people believe that he is not in the real world, and he doesn’t know how to recognize that.
Tim Burton Movies
Now this theory may blow your mind. Some fans believe that Victor from Frankenweenie is a younger version of Victor from Corpse Bride who in turn is the living version of Jack Skellington!
Fans believe that the same character appears in all three movies, just at different times of his life. Yeah okay so there are one or two plot holes in this theory by it does make sense. They even all have the same dog!
Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory
This film is based on the book by Roald Dahl of the same name, which is admittedly very odd. There is a theory that Willy Wonka actually orchestrates all of the accidents that befall the children who tour the factory. Each accident seems to perfectly timed, and Willy Wonka seems happy when each child meets their demise.
In addition, it seems all the Oompa Loompa songs were preplanned and rehearsed, meaning even the Oompa Loompa’s knew how the children would be harmed. This means that Willie must have known who he wanted to give his factory to before he even sent out the golden tickets, and he tortured the children for fun. Some theorists have gone a step further and postulated that Willie built the factory to trap and torture children and he is secretly grooming Charlie to replace him. Roald Dahl’s novels are known for being rather dark and twisted, so this would make sense.
The Wizard Of Oz
This classic tale of Dorothy on the yellow brick road is a film that has created a lot of different theories. When Dorothy wakes up and realizes she is not in Kansas anymore, she begins her adventure.
On the way, she meets the alternate versions of people she knows in real life, yet she never meets her own alternate. This has led fans to think that Dorothy’s alternate, is the Wicked Witch of the East, and this pure version of herself is her alternate version.
Wolf of Wallstreet
At the beginning of the movie, Leonardo DiCaprio asks his colleague Brad to demonstrate how to approach customers by selling the pen. Brad becomes a friend of Leo’s character and later in the film when Brad dies of a heart attack everything begins to go wrong for the lead character.
Shortly after he is arrested and sent to prison. Then at the end of the film, Leo’s character is giving a motivational talk where he asks the audience to sell a pen. There in the crowd sits someone who looks similar to Brad. Because of this, some fans believe that Brad sold Leo out to the FBI and then faked his death when he went into protective custody and the man in the audience really is Brad.
Harry Potter: Neville Was The True Chosen One
Remember professor Trelawney’s prophecy about the chosen one? Well, everyone just assumed that that person was Harry. But some fans have argued that it had been Neville all along. After all, it was Neville who finally destroyed the final Horcrux. Before starting school, Neville chose to use his father’s wand instead of letting a wand choose him.
This is why Neville has so many accidents and difficulties with spells. It’s not until Neville wand is lost that he gets a new one. This time the wand chooses him and from then on he is able to lead Dumbledoores army. So, according to fans, if Neville had gotten the right wand at the start he would have been the lead hero of the books. Wow!
Star Wars
For years fans of the Star Wars franchise have debated specific theories about the movies. None is more hotly debated than assumptions about Jar Jar Binks. The character of Jar Jar Binks has been pretty contentious for a lot of people. He seems rather dumb in a lot of ways, and by what he says. Some people think that Jar Jar was acting the entire time, though.
At the end of those films, he gives Emperor Palpatine everything he wants, which is precisely what a Sith Lord would do. Many believe that Lucas envisioned Jar Jar as one of the most skilled users of the force in the Universe. In fact, if fans hadn’t disliked Jar Jar so much, Lucas had plans to unveil the character in further installments are Darth Jar Jar.
John Wick Movies
Remember the matrix? Well in the matrix Neo had several training programs that gave him certain abilities. Well, some die-hard matrix fans who saw the John Wick movies have come up with one crazy theory. They argue that the life of John Wick is actually how Neo’s subconscious experiences certain training programs.
Neo doesn’t realize it because it is so fast and unconscious when a program downloads. But every time he learns a new skill a brand new storyline is downloaded. We are not sure how realistic this all sounds, but given how simple things seem to be in John’s world this could be a virtual universe. You have to admit its almost like a video game.
Grease
This musical classic, which stars John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, may not have been real at all. The film starts with Sandy falling in love, and Danny singing about how he had to save her from drowning.
Due to this, it might actually be possible that this wild high school romp, is actually a dreamscape from Sandy’s mind while she lay in the hospital suffering from a coma. A lot of the musical sequences and dance numbers seem to be a bit too over the top even for a musical. The friends that Sandy meets in her dreams might just be girls she knew from Australia but with American accents.
The Rock
This thriller had Nic Cage and Sean Connery trying to solve some pretty unusual cases, but what is interesting is the fact that Sean Connery may actually have been James Bond in the film. The reason this has turned into a conspiracy theory is the fact that his name in the movie is Captain John Patrick Mason, which could be an alias for James Bond.
As well, James Bond and this Captain John both don’t have any records that claim they exist in the real world within this film. Perhaps this was a crossover movie, and it showed James Bond on one of his undercover assignments without ever admitting to it.
Pulp Fiction
This classic film from acclaimed director Quentin Tarantino features a couple of wily assassins, who have some pretty snippy one-liners. Throughout the film, these assassins can be seen guarding a briefcase, but what is contained inside is never shown.
There are certain elements that lead to the idea that a soul is contained within those leather confines, specifically the soul of Marcellus Wallace. Whether or not this is true, we will never know. That is unless a sequel is made.
Ex Machina
When Ex Machina hit theaters, it wowed audiences with its nuanced interpretation of artificial intelligence in the very near future. The main character in the film, played by Oscar Isaac, was called Nathan, and he thought he had developed the highest form of AI in the form of beautiful Ava.
Some fans of the film suggest that Ava was actually Kyoko at the end. It seemed odd to them that a robot like Kyoko would be able to feel murderous intent, whereas Ava would only feel compassion. That’s why they think that Kyoko is actually the AI that steps out and wanders around a metropolis when she is finally free, and that Ava was indeed the murderer.
RoboCop
RoboCop has been remade multiple times, but the very first one was unique when it first hit screens in the 1980s. The film is actually a lot less focused on cyborgs, and more focused on telling the story of Christ.
The cyborg is actually supposed to be Jesus Christ, and his mission is to save people and ensure that the world remains free of the seven deadly sins. For a science fiction movie, that is definitely an exciting approach to the story.
E.T.
E.T. or the extraterrestrial was an adorable alien. Steven Spielberg, the director of E.T. and George Lucas, the creator of the Star Wars franchise, have been friends for a long time. Due to this, E.T. may actually be a Jedi.
The reason this has become a fan theory is that it is thought that Yoda makes an appearance in the Spielberg flick, and E.T. shows up in a Star Wars movie. It also seems like E.T. might have access to the force.
Signs
This classic film, directed by M. Night Shyamalan, featured an otherworldly presence in the form of aliens. His films always have a lot of layers that viewers need to work through to come to the ultimate truth.
There are a lot of biblical references in the film, with the daughter sometimes being referred to as holy. This has led people to believe that this is not an alien presence, but instead the existence of demons that are trying to take over the world.
Home Alone
For a kid, Kevin McCalister seems to have a gift for creating traps. And he also seems to enjoy using his traps against people.
Its no wonder then that some people believe Kevin continued to design traps as he grew up. Eventually, he moved on to designing more sinister traps. In fact, some people believe that Kevin grew up to become Jigsaw from Saw. Now that is pretty freaky.
Titanic
Another fan favorite is Titanic. This film also stars Leonardo DiCaprio, but this time his leading lady is Kate Winslet. Some people wanted to include a slightly supernatural element to the film, and have hypothesized that Jack is from the future. In the film, Jack saves Rose from jumping off the ship. The reason he does this is not that he likes her, but because if she jumped, the voyage would be halted so that the crew could look for her body.
If this happened, the ship would not hit the iceberg, and the Titanic disaster would never happen. This would mean that in the future air travel never developed and many modern inventions never take place. So Jack was sent back into the past to make sure Rose didn’t kill herself, and the ship hit the iceberg. That is why Jack went back in time to save her. He just did not intend to fall in love with her.
Ghostbusters
This gang of ghost fighting guys made audiences scream with laughter. There is a theory that the team of Ghostbusters actually did not survive at the end of the first film, and that’s why in the second film, no one knows them.
Now, the second film brings the Ghostbusters into the realm of purgatory. That is why the ghosts they face are more vicious than usual. That makes us wonder, though, are they brought back to life at some point?
Up
We all loved the movie Up, but some fans have theorized a different role for the character of Russel. Some fans believe that Russel isn’t actually real.
Instead, Carl has passed away and Carl is a guardian angel sent by Carl’s wife to try and help her husband to the afterlife. That is definitely a different spin on this popular animation.
The Dark Knight Rises
Batman is always battling the foes of Gotham City, but at the end of The Dark Knight Rises, fans are left wondering whether he is alive or dead. A lot of fans think that Bruce Wayne, also known as Batman, is actually alive.
The reason this is a fan theory is that there is a shot in Florence, Italy, which shows a man who looks very similar to Wayne wandering around the city. We’d like to think that Batman is still alive too.
The Dark Knight
Heath Ledger’s Joker character has gone down in history. He was so believable that he won an Oscar for the role posthumously. Batman was always concerned with making Gotham City safe, but the Joker actually achieved this goal in The Dark Knight.
The difference is that the Joker did not do it to necessarily help people but for his own nefarious plans. That being said, some theorists think that the Joker was not the antagonist of the film, Batman was. So the whole time the Joker was the good guy who just wanted the best for Gotham.
The Big Lebowski
The Dude and his wayward gang of friends spend a lot of time hanging out at the bowling alley, but that’s not all that they do. There has long been a dispute over whether or not John Goodman’s character, Walter, is, in fact, a figment of the Dude’s imagination.
People thought he might have been a deceased friend. The Coen brothers have made it clear that Walter is real, so this theory has been laid to rest.
Field Of Dreams
The film, Field of Dreams, literally revolved around making a baseball field for ghost baseball players from various well-known American major league baseball teams. There is a character, though, which a lot of people are not sure is real or a ghost.
Terrance Mann, who is a friend of Paul Walker’s character, attends all of the games. He is a writer, but that does not mean he is not a ghost since only Paul can see him.
The Shining
There are a ton of theories surrounding Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, which is based on the Stephen King novel of the same name. Many people have never believed that Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong landed on the Moon.
There is a further theory that director Stanley Kubrick was actually tasked with making the whole landing look real. In The Shining, Danny Torrence wears a sweater with the famed Apollo mission on it. People think this was Kubrick taking credit for his work.
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
This film does not seem like it would be about mental illness, but there is a theory that Ferris Bueller actually has two personalities. There is the party-loving Ferris who dominates the screen, and then the depressed Cam, who might be his alter ego.
If Cam and Ferris are one and the same, it’s possible that Ferris never actually left his bed that morning and instead the whole adventure happened in his imagination. It’s strange to think that this film, which is all about skipping school, could actually be trying to raise awareness around dissociative personality disorder instead.
Aladdin
Everyone’s favorite Middle Eastern Disney movie and the titular character of Aladdin seems to be quite modern. Agrabah, the city where the film is set, could actually be a futuristic city. So instead of the story taking place in the past, it is set in a dystopian future where the world has become a caliphate.
The reason fans believe this is because of the Genie. As soon as he leaves the lamp, he starts spouting modern metaphors and pop culture references from a variety of decades. The only way he could know these things is if he had lived through them.
The Joker
Because not a lot is known about the Jokers’ backstory, many fans have filled-in some of the gaps and as a result, there are plenty of fan theories out there. After the latest Joke film was released many believed that the Arthur Fleck (played by Joaquin Pheonix) was the beginning of Batman’s Joker. However, some more committed fans have a new theory.
Because of the massive age difference between Arthur Fleck and what was believed to be a young Batman, some fans have said that Pheonix’s Joker isn’t the real Joker at all. Instead, they believe that this Joker is merely the real villain’s predecessor.
Forest Gump
Forest Gump is a much-loved classic, however, with all the plot holes towards the end, some fans thought that something strange was going on.
Because Forest and Jenny’s reunion at the end of the film is so sudden, many fans have argued that Jenny only returned because she knew she was sick. That means that Forest’s son isn’t actually his and only Jenny knows the true identity of the child’s father. Others have also argued that the child is sick like Jenny was and Forest just doesn’t know.