It’s incredible how many clever fan theories there are that connect characters from totally separate movies. It could be an actor’s role in both films that spur viewers to conjure unique and interesting ways to connect their characters, or it could be a thematic connection that’s so striking that it unlocks a path to showcase just how the two movies are set in the same universe. While it’s true that not all fan theories will hold up to intense scrutiny, it’s still a fun thought experiment to wonder just how two disparate movie characters could be unknowingly connected with one another.
The smartest fan theories add to a viewer’s enjoyment of both movies, allowing audiences to rewatch their favorite films with fresh eyes and attempt to spot parallels they may not have otherwise noticed. Some fan theories are so clever that they improve upon the ideas laid out in the original works and create a new, compelling story that viewers choose to believe as their own headcanon. Discussing and dissecting movies has long been a pastime of committed film lovers, and some of these fan theories were truly wild.
10 Charlie Bucket & Wilford
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) & Snowpiercer (2013)
While there have been plenty of wild theories about Willy Wonka, this fan theory has much more to do with Charlie Bucket. It may sound outrageous at first, but upon further inspection, it’s shocking just how much evidence there is to claim that Charlie grew up to become Wilford, the creator and caretaker of the globe-circling Snowpiercer train. The theory posits that following the climate change emergency that almost put an end to humanity, Charlie took the skills he learned from his chocolate-making mentor and created the lifesaving train.
The idea goes that Charlie changed his name to Wilford Wonka to honor the man who gave him the skills he needed to survive. While there are no signs of Oompa Loompas in Snowpiercer, Wilford does mention that whatever kept the train’s engine running “recently went extinct,” adding an extra layer of darkness to this already bleak theory. The insane details beyond the Willy Wonka and Snowpiercer theory were effectively outlined by Rhino Stew on YouTube, whose well-researched argument was difficult to debunk.
9 James Bond & John Mason
James Bond (1962 – Present) & The Rock (1996)
The MI6 agent, who works under codename 007, has been played by many actors; however, the character of James Bond is forever linked to Sean Connery’s suave performance during the 1960s. It’s no surprise then that Connery had difficulty shedding his association with Bond, and right through his career, fans would compare his other roles to that of the international spy. While it’s easy to dismiss most of these ideas, one fascinatingly convincing theory suggests that James Bond and John Mason from The Rock are the same person.
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The Rock revealed that, as far as government records were concerned, retired MI6 agent John Mason does not exist, making the idea that he was previously known as Bond all the more plausible. As one of the few people capable of escaping Alcatraz prison, it’s notable that Mason escaped in 1962, giving him just enough time to take on a new identity and for the first Bond movie, Dr. No, to take place that same year. While the fact that both characters were played by Connery may have inspired this theory, there are several interesting parallels connecting them.
8 Kevin McCallister & Jigsaw
Home Alone (1990) & Saw (2004 – Present)
Although the family-friendly hijinks of Home Alone and the torturous horror of the Saw franchise may seem a million miles away, there’s credence to the idea that Kevin McCallister could grow into the serial killer John “Jigsaw” Kramer. While Kevin was cleverly constructing elaborate traps and toying with the men who tried to steal from his house during the holiday season, he could have continued to improve these skills as he grew older. Having gained a love for torture, Kevin took on a new identity and started to trap his victims to play elaborate games to save their lives.
The case for this theory becomes even stronger when Kevin uses a cassette tape voice recorder in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, which alters his voice when he plays it back, similar to how Jigsaw altered his voice in Saw. As a child with highly advanced intelligence and no moral qualms about carrying out truly sadistic acts against those he deems deserving of them, the logical conclusion would be that Kevin grew up to be, at the very least, somewhat troubled and, at the most, a deranged serial killer with a total disregard for the sanctity of life.
7 Tarzan & Elsa
Tarzan (1999) & Frozen (2013)
While Frozen 2 debunked this Tarzan theory, for many years, it looked highly likely that the king of the jungle, Tarzan, and the ice queen, Elsa, were related. The reason fans thought these two Disney movies were connected was because Tarzan and Elsa’s parents had strikingly similar backstories, as Elsa’s parents were last seen sailing through the ocean during a terrible storm and believed to have perished. However, fans began theorizing that they could have survived and washed on the Congolese coast, just like Tarzan’s parents.
Fans further speculated that the mother was pregnant and gave birth to a baby boy who grew up to become Tarzan. This theory continued to grow in notoriety and popularity in the years following Frozen’s release, although Frozen 2 later provided fans with more information about the fate of Elsa’s mom and dad, thus making this theory impossible. While some fans may have been disappointed that the theory did not come true, it’s a testament to the popularity of the Disney Renaissance characters that viewers are still making these connections all these years later.
6 Tyler Durden & The Joker
Fight Club (1999) & The Dark Knight (2008)
David Fincher’s Fight Club and Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight were very different movies, but they also explored similar themes with self-destructive characters. As the Narrator’s (Edward Norton) dull and depressed life led to the creation of Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt), a figment of his own imagination with whom he starts a fight club, it’s hard not to notice that the chaotic impulses of Durden were not dissimilar to the supervillain the Joker from Batman. To take this further, fans have argued that Fight Club is actually an origin story for the Joker after Durden took over completely.
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Both Durden and the Joker thrive during the night and love to watch the world burn. Durden’s plan to eliminate credit card debt and restart society with Project Mayhem sounds like something taken right out of the Joker’s playbook. While this theory does not account for the Narrator’s side of Joker’s personality, it could make sense if Durden eventually managed to fully take control and entirely turn off the more moral side of his nature.
5 Dr. Mark Watney & Dr. Mann
The Martian (2015) & Interstellar (2014)
Matt Damon portrayed Dr. Mark Watney in Ridley Scott’s The Martian and Dr. Mann in Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar. Both of these characters were highly intelligent scientists who left Earth to study the cosmos. However, one theory proposed by the Reddit user Any_Bicycle921 suggested the characters may have a much stronger link and that The Martian was actually a prequel to Interstellar.
This theory suggested that after returning to Earth following the events of The Martian, Dr. Watney brought a potato he had cultivated using Martian soil back with him. While this alien potato was supposed to symbolize survival and resilience, it contained an unknown pathogen that caused a global blight that spread to other crops and caused the dystopian famine world seen in Interstellar. This made Dr. Watney such a social pariah that he was forced to change his name to Dr. Mann to continue his work as a NASA astronaut sent to an icy planet during the Lazarus program.
4 Mike Vronsky & Travis Bickle
The Deer Hunter (1978) & Taxi Driver (1976)
The Deer Hunter and Taxi Driver were two of Robert De Niro’s greatest movies during the 1970s, although one theory suggests they may have far more in common than it initially seems. The idea that The Deer Hunter is actually a prequel to Taxi Driver and that the traumatized Vietnam veterans Mike Vronsky and Travis Bickle are the same people was outlined in a video by Alex Haitz. With strikingly similar backstories, it theoretically could make sense that following the events of The Deer Hunter, Mike took on a new identity and began working as a New York taxicab driver.
The Deer Hunter saw Mike witness his best friend Nick Chevotarevich (Christopher Walken) shoot himself in the head during an underground game of Russian roulette in Vietnam. Carrying trauma from Nick’s death and the destruction of his marriage to Linda (Meryl Streep), Mike runs away from it all and becomes Travis Bickle. However, Travis can’t entirely avoid his trauma, and it comes out as he goes on a vigilante mission to save a young prostitute (Jodie Foster) where, in the climactic shootout scene, he mimics the actions of his deceased friend as he points finger guns to his head.
3 John Doe & Bruce Wayne
Se7en (1995) & Batman Begins (2005)
The gritty urban decay seen in David Fincher’s Se7en was set in a crumbling metropolis that was never named. This lack of a definitive setting meant that fans have long theorized it could be taking place in Gotham City in the years before Bruce Wayne had taken up the moniker of Batman. While this reasoning may seem flimsy at first look, it becomes much more compelling considering how well the serial killer John Doe fits into the cast of deranged criminals the city of Gotham has hosted.
As an obsessive killer who utilizes his own calling cards based on the seven deadly sins, the actions of John Doe fit nicely alongside supervillain characters such as the Joker or the Riddler. The dark noir atmosphere of Se7en brings to mind the gritty realism of Christopher Nolan’s version of Gotham, first seen in Batman Begins. While this theory has been floating around for years as fans have endlessly discussed the comparisons that can be made between the two films, all the evidence was nicely compiled in a video by That Film Theory, which explained the concept in detail.
2 Jack Dawson & Jay Gatsby
Titanic (1995) & The Great Gatsby (2013)
Despite James Cameron’s Titanic being based on a genuine sinking that took place in 1912, that has not stopped fans from speculating about a connection between Jack Dawson and Jay Gatsby, the enigmatic millionaire seen in The Great Gatsby. As both characters were played by Leonardo DiCaprio, it’s only natural for viewers to attempt to see if there were any connections between them. However, when piecing the story together, it’s striking how much this theory holds up.
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The idea goes that after Jack falls in love with Rose (Kate Winslet) on the ill-fated maiden voyage of the Titanic, and despite seemingly having died, he actually survived the shipwreck. Having gained a taste of the luxurious life on the Titanic, he took on a new identity and made his millions. This saw Jack become Jay Gatsby and move on from romance with Rose to fall in love with a similar free-spirited girl named Daisy Buchanan (Carey Mulligan.) While this is an interesting idea, in practice, it undermines the love stories of both movies.
1 Dumbledore & Gandalf
Harry Potter (2001 – 2011) & The Lord of the Rings (2001 – 2003)
As two of the biggest fantasy film franchises of all time and both being based on beloved book series, it’s no surprise that fans have thought of many ways in which Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings could be connected. From the One Ring being a Horcrux to Hogwarts and Rivendell being one and the same, it’s fascinating just how many ways keen viewers have been able to bring the two disparate series together. The most obvious connection that comes to mind is that of Hogwarts’ headmaster, Dumbledore, and the powerful wizard Gandalf, two characters who look strikingly similar.
This theory suggests that Dumbledore and Gandalf’s similarities are not mere coincidences and that the two are actually twin brothers. As two elderly wizards, both sporting long beards and with a wise and affectionate demeanor, the list of comparisons that could be made between the two is endless. This fan theory connects Dumbledore and Gandalf as brothers who went down two different paths: one stayed in the wizarding world to educate young minds in Hogwarts, while the other set out toward Middle-earth to be among the hobbits, elves, and the rest of Tolkien’s monsters.
Sources: Rhino Stew, Reddit, Alex Haitz, That Film Theory
