Lil Nas X responds to a Marvel Cinematic Universe fan theory that he survived Thanos’ Avengers: Infinity War snap that erased half of all life in the universe. The 22-year-old American rapper first entered the public eye with the country-rap hybrid “Old Town Road” in late 2018, which is now one of the best-selling singles in music history. His debut album, Montero, is scheduled to drop on Friday, September 17.

The MCU Phase 4 continues to explore the effects of Thanos’ snap. It took the Avengers five years to undo the halving of the universe’s population, and ever since Spider-Man: Far From Home revealed those who disappeared had not aged at all in that time, audiences have had a lot of fun teasing out the larger consequences. In particular, it has been interesting to follow who survived the snap and who got dusted, whether they are characters from the Marvel universe or just figures from popular culture. For example, Thanos actor Josh Brolin confirmed the Goonies all survived his character’s actions, which is comforting.

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Now, thanks to a scene in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, one fan has a theory about Lil Nas X. After a day of working as valets, Shaun/Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) and Katy (Awkwafina) head to a karaoke bar, and the two are shown drunkenly belting out Lil Nas X’s first hit. Their night out takes place post-Endgame, but in this theory, the existence of “Old Town Road” is the smoking gun that proves the rapper survived Thanos’ snap. Lil Nas X has seen the theory, and he seems pretty convinced:

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The movie Shang-Chi‘s place in the MCU timeline would indeed set it in either 2023 or 2024, and though Lil Nas X released “Old Town Road” in December 2018, the theory’s logic still tracks: for Shang-Chi and Katy to be singing a song that came out after Thanos’ snap, the musician behind it must have survived. There is another possibility, however, that might be an even better fit. If Lil Nas X was snapped away and returned unaltered five years later, he could have released “Old Town Road” after the events of Endgame. That would mean his first hit released in 2023 or ’24 instead, so it could still be topping the Billboard Hot 100 when Shaun and Katy queue it up.

Of course, it’s unlikely Shang-Chi director Destin Daniel Cretton and co. were thinking on this level when they picked the song, but knowing MCU fandom’s love of continuity, it’s not outside the realm of possibility. Some of the most fun bits of worldbuilding in Marvel movies stem from filmmakers considering how the Avengers’ existence would impact everyday life, such as the Captain America PSA videos in Spider-Man: Homecoming. It will be interesting to see which celebrity fans will be able to place in the MCU timeline next.

Source: Lil Nas X

Key Release Dates
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  • Eternals (2021)Release date: Nov 05, 2021
  • Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)Release date: May 06, 2022
  • Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)Release date: Jul 08, 2022
  • Black Panther: Wakanda Forever/Black Panther 2 (2022)Release date: Nov 11, 2022
  • The Marvels/Captain Marvel 2 (2023)Release date: Feb 17, 2023
  • Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)Release date: Jul 28, 2023
  • Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)Release date: May 05, 2023
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Alexander Harrison
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Alex is a Movie/TV News Editor & Writer at Screen Rant. After graduating from Brown University with a B.A. in English, he spent a locked-down year in Scotland completing a Master’s in Film Studies from the University of Edinburgh, which he hears is a nice, lively city. He now lives in and works from Milan, Italy.

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