Fan theories that make you see movies differently

When a director releases a movie into the world, it no longer belongs to him or her—it belongs to all of us. And that means we can speculate about all kinds of hidden messages and unsaid meanings lurking behind the events on-screen. Here are some of the most unusual and mind-blowing fan theories that have ever been aired. After hearing them, you probably won't be able to see these movies in the same way again. Watch our video above or read on below, and don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more cool videos.

Heath Ledger's Joker is a war veteran

Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker in 2008's Dark Knight is difficult to forget, having earned him a posthumous Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. But there might be more to his backstory than we realize: one of the most popular fan theories suggests the Joker is an Iraq war veteran.

It explains his facial scarring and his tortured psyche, plus his ability to put tactical plans into operation and his familiarity with explosives and firearms. What's more, he mentions his disgust at people's lack of attention for "a truckload of soldiers" getting blown up in one conversation with Harvey Dent.

Hogwarts is all in Harry Potter's head

Saying a movie (or in this case a series of eight movies) is all inside someone's head is a bit of a cop-out, and one could apply such a theory to just about every film ever made—but bear with us. The Harry Potter films lend themselves to this theory more than most, because the titular character starts off alone, friendless, oppressed…and locked inside a cupboard under the stairs.

With that in mind, why wouldn't he want to invent a magical alternate reality where he's actually the most important person in the world? Hogwarts, Hermione, Dumbledore: is everything a figment of Harry's imagination, designed to help him cope with his suffering at the hands of the Dursleys?

James Bond is a codename, not a person

Quite how the world of James Bond works isn't particularly clear, because it seems as though we're expected to assume all these adventures are happening to the same guy, even as the years pass by around him. George Lazenby's famous quip beyond the fourth wall ("This never happened to the other fella") has been the only nod the filmmakers have made to the fact that James Bond keeps regenerating Doctor Who-style.

But what about this: what if James Bond isn't an actual spy at all, but rather a codename passed down from agent to agent? It seems to work for M and Q, so why wouldn't it work for James Bond himself? It's a compelling argument when you start to think about it.