New ‘Aladdin’ Fan Theory Changes Everything About ‘King of Thieves’

With the live-action Aladdin set to hit theaters later this year, Disney fans are diving back into the original animated films to get a refresher on the story of the beloved character. The great thing about watching a movie you loved as a kid once you’re grown up is that you sometimes catch onto stuff you never realized when you were younger, giving life to some incredibly interesting ideas and fan theories.

One of these theories found its way on Reddit, and it explains how one important event in the first Aladdin film actually created the story of the third movie, Aladdin and the King of Thieves. Honestly, it makes a ton of sense, and gives an even deeper meaning to the final installment of the original trilogy.

Remember when Aladdin made his initial wishes with Genie? According to Reddit user Phyrandria, one of those wishes changed the course of Aladdin’s story going forward. I’ll explain.

Aladdin wished to be a prince so that he could impress Jasmine, right? So Genie whipped up a fancy outfit, a big parade, and an elephant for him to ride in on. But let’s remember one thing, Aladdin didn’t wish to look like a prince or to convince others he was a prince. He specifically wished that he was actually a prince. So instead of simply dressing him, Genie fulfilled the wish and made Al a prince, we just didn’t know it.

The third movie centers around Aladdin meeting the Forty Thieves (which were referenced in “Friend Like Me”), and the realization that his father was actually the King of Thieves. If this was the case, his father had plenty of money and likely for a long time, so why was Aladdin living on the street all his life? Perhaps his dad was just a terrible guy, but there’s also the notion that something changed not long before he reconnected with his son. When Aladdin wished to be a prince, Genie not only dressed him up, but made his father the infamous King of Thieves. This in turn made Aladdin the prince he desired to be.

Loving Genie has always been easy, but this theory makes him seem even better at his job than we ever gave him credit for. It also helps give a lot more depth to the relationship between Aladdin and his father, something we’d all surely love to see on the big screen if the live-action movie gets a sequel.

What do you think of this theory? Let us know in the comments!

Disney’s live-action Aladdin is set to hit theaters on May 24th.

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