18 Fan Theories About Your Favorite Movies That Will Make You Question Everything

The best thing about a movie you genuinely love watching is, well… watching it, obviously. But the second best thing is definitely talking about said movie afterwards with friends who are just as interested in as you are.

There’s something so exciting and fun about analyzing every single little detail, coming up with your own thoughts on what could have happened if some of the details were different, imaging what the ending really meant, and thinking about the deeper meaning of certain scenes and characters.

It’s even more fun to come up with and read about fan theories about your favorite movies, and the internet is a great place for this. Of course, some fan theories are silly, some make no sense, and some popular ones have even been debunked by creators of the movie.

But it doesn’t matter: some are so good and fascinating that they will make you question everything you thought you knew.

Here are a few of the most interesting fan theories about movies out there:

1. The toys in Toy Story are really the souls of dead people

Have you ever wondered why the toys in Toy Story come to life?

Is it really because of Andy’s imagination? Do toys actually come to life when we aren’t around (okay, just let us dream!)? Or is it something much, much spookier? Reddit user ThanosFan99 explains their theory:

That is endlessly creepy… and kind of makes sense?

2. Wooderson from Dazed and Confused grew up to be a US President

If you’ve ever seen Dazed and Confused, then you’re probably feeling pretty skeptical about this one.

But hear us out as Reddit user gnarpnk explains:

So, Wooderson is Bill Clinton? Sounds suspicious, but we also almost buy it.

3. Willy Wonka is actually Charlie’s dad

There is a ton of evidence that Willy Wonka could actually be Charlie’s dad in the original film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Basically, the whole thing comes down to this: Willy Wonka orchestrated his whole plan so that he could give his son his chocolate factory. Allow user KillKrites to explain:

I need a minute to process this one.

If you think that’s crazy, some believe Wonka is simply a murderous monster.

Disturbed viewers claim the chocolate factory’s founder was a calculated murderer

If you really think about it, you won’t be able to watch a lot of the scenes the same way.

First things first, his lair is quite deadly and he doesn’t bat an eye when the children get hurt or suffer.

One fan theory claims his solitude drove him to madness and the killings or injuring of the children were planned, as evidence by the Oompa-Loompas pre-prepared routines.

And his wild idea? Have Charlie take over his murderous throne!

Uhhhh, this is a bit much.

4. The monsters in Monsters Inc are actually infectious germs

One interesting theory about Monsters Inc is that the monsters aren’t monsters at all… they’re actually little infectious germs.

Reddit user TapehNah explains that they don’t really seem like actual monsters (for example, why do they have to go to school to learn how to be scary?).

This is a pretty interesting way to think about the movie from now on:

5. Howard Stark gave Tony Stark super solider serum

If you’re into the Marvel universe, you probably have plenty of theories about the super heroes and Avengers and all of that.

This theory, posted by Reddit user Qw3rty_The_Fish, is all about how Tony Stark is actually a Super Soldier and not a regular human being. It’s definitely a fascinating one to consider, and could change everything we know about Tony Stark:

6. Brad Pitt’s character in three movies are all the same person

Okay, here’s a slightly different kind of theory: that Brad Pitt’s characters in the movies Legends of the Fall, Inglorious Bastards, and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood are all actually the same character.

Wait, WHAT.

If you’ve seen all three movies, this weirdly mkaes a little bit of sense. It’s just strange to think about! Reddit user tommyknockers26 explains:

7. The Hulk invented the immortality machine in Avengers: Endgame

This one obviously won’t make much sense unless you have seen Avengers: Endgame, but here it is: Reddit user ak2sup thinks that the Hulk accidentally invented an immortality machine that would explain a lot.

It seems so legit that Reddit user ExioKenway5 added, “I wouldn’t say this is a fan theory, as it’s pretty much straight up fact.”

Ummmm, IDK about this one.

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8. Sandy died in the beginning of Grease

Ready to question the entire plot of Grease?

Reddit user BadRefutation shared a theory that Sandy actually died in the beginning of the film.

They explained, “The theory is that Sandy drowned at the beginning of the movie when they’re (she and Danny) are at the beach in the beginning. She goes into a coma, and she’s just imagining the entire senior year. The final part where she and Danny is flying up into the skies is just her dying.” Interesting!

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9. The entire plot of Aladdin is just a marketing ploy

Okay, let’s explain: remember the salesman trying to sell that lamp in the beginning of the movie Aladdin? Some people believe that the entire movie is actually just a story the salesman made up to sell the lamp. It kind of makes sense, although some people have countered it by saying the salesman is just the Genie.

10. Nemo in Finding Nemo is actually dead

Here’s a pretty devastating theory: in Finding Nemo, there isn’t really a Nemo. Nemo died when the rest of his family died, but his father was so devastated by the deaths that he made up the idea that Nemo was still alive. This is pretty dark:

11. Most of Leonardo DiCaprio’s roles are all the same person

Similar to the Brad Pitt character theory, some people think that a few of Leonardo DiCaprio’s biggest roles are also all the same character: these include his iconic characters from Titanic, Inception, and Shutter Island could plausibly be the same character. It’s wild, but it’s interesting!

All we’ve got to say on this one is:

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12. Matilda is actually Carrie from Carrie

This fan theory is VERY involved and actually reads more like fan fiction than a fan theory… but it’s fascinating nonetheless. Basically, the idea is that Matilda is also Carrie from the movie Carrie.

It would make sense, but didn’t Carrie come out before Matilda? Still fun to read!

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13. E.T. was actually a Jedi

Is the alien E.T. from the movie actually a Jedi? It’s a long shot, but imagine if it were real?! It would totally change everything for two movies. Honestly, this one seems like the weakest of the bunch, but raises so good points.

14. Andy in Toy Story didn’t really have a father

Here’s another depressing Disney/Pixar fan theory: that Andy’s father actually died in Toy Story, and that’s why his toys are “alive:” he’s actually imagining them living a life where they search for him only to return to him, because he wishes his own father would return. That’s really sad!

15. The Great Valley in The Land Before Time is really the afterlife

Another sad cartoon fan theory is this one about The Land Before Time. Some people believe that the Great Valley, which is the spot the dinosaurs were searching for during the entire film, was actually the afterlife. And, really, this makes tons of sense based on history.

16. Tyler Durden from Fight Club is also the Joker

Interestingly enough, there is a lot of support for this theory that Tyler Durden from Fight Club is also the Joker, and that they’re really from the same universe. It’s not totally unbelievable, but it is definitely a little out there.

17. The Shining is really about what white men did to Native Americans

We already know that the hotel in The Shining was built on a Native American burial ground, and that’s why it’s supposed to be haunted. But what if the whole movie was supposed to be symbolism about the way white men treated Native Americans?

Interesting…

18. Aladdin is set in the future

There’s another popular theory about Aladdin, and that’s that the entire film really takes place in the distant future. It’s a little far fetched, but it also is really fun to think about.

Another user who has since deleted their account added this evidence:

“In one scene, Genie calls Al’s clothes ‘so 3rd century.’ Genie was trapped for 10,000 years, so there is no way he could know of the fashion trends which have happened whilst he was in the lamp. Which means at the latest Genie could have been trapped in the lamp during the 3rd century. If he spent 10,000 years in there, it is then AT LEAST the year 10,300AD when he gets out.”