The Hobbit trilogy
After the highs of the Lord of the Rings films, the Hobbit trilogy was a bit of a disappointment. The plot of one book was stretched over the course of three long films, which were all over-reliant on CGI. There could be a good reason for that. One theory suggests that what we’re seeing on the screen is Bilbo’s “reimagining” of his adventures as he writes his book, spicing everything up so they’re more extravagant. It wouldn’t be out of the ordinary for Bilbo to get a little fantastical as he tells his story. It sounds nice, but it’s probably Peter Jackson’s fault for going into the project without a final plan
The Dark Knight
Heath Ledger’s Joker is given no backstory in this comic book sequel, so fans had to devise one on their own. A popular belief is that the Joker is a veteran of the Iraq War and suffers from PTSD. This would explain his intricate knowledge of weapons and ability to conceive one master plan after another to terrorize Gotham. He also mentions that people don’t think twice about a “truck load of soldiers” blowing up, almost in a disdainful manner. If the Joker served in the military, that line receives a whole new context and is arguably sympathetic. We’ll never know the truth behind Nolan’s Joker, but this is as good a guess as any.
The Prestige
Christopher Nolan’s tale of magicians is full of twists and turns as it is. What about one more? The main trick in the film is the Transported Man, which Borden achieves with a twin, while Angier uses a machine that clones – and drowns - himself on a nightly basis – or so it would seem. One theory proposes that Angier always used a double and didn’t introduce the drowning aspect until the final night, when he knew Borden would investigate behind the stage, framing his rival for murder. Earlier scenes in the film seem to work against this, but it would be a crazy revelation if it turned out to be true.
Inception
By now, most people are familiar with the theory that Cobb’s wedding ring is his real totem, but there’s another hypothesis about this master thief. While is accomplices refuse to tell anyone about their totems out of fear for the consequences, Cobb openly discusses how his spinning top works with others, suggesting that he intentionally is leaving himself open for a dream attack. Cobb is slowly but surely losing his grip on reality and could be becoming suicidal, inviting a life forever in the dream world. It puts a dark spin on the material, but at least he always gets his happy ending with his family.
Iron Man 2
At long last, Spider-Man can play in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Peter Parker made his debut in Captain America: Civil War, but did audiences meet him much earlier? One theory floating around suggests Peter is the small kid wearing an Iron Man mask at the Stark Expo in Queens, ready to take on a robot. Peter is revealed to be a fan of Stark’s, so it makes sense he would want to attend the event. And since Parker is a high-schooler in the MCU, the age lines up as well. Obviously, Marvel couldn’t use Peter’s name since they didn’t have the rights, but it’s nice to think in retrospect this is what happened.
Star Wars
It’s well documented that many Star Wars fans hate Jar-Jar Binks. But what if the Gungan was a sinister being? Some feel that Jar-Jar is actually a Sith Lord co-conspiring with Palpatine to rule the galaxy. Binks uses his outward appearance as a buffoon as a ruse to mislead others, similar to Yoda in The Empire Strikes Back. The theory also suggests that Jar-Jar used a mind trick on the Senate when he proposed Palpatine receive emergency powers, leading to the formation of the Empire. There’s no denying it’s a fun concept, but Disney isn’t going to touch Jar-Jar with a 10 foot pole, so we’ll have no idea if it’s true.
