This Insane Theory Connects Elf To Step Brothers (& It Sorta Makes Sense)

One of the best things about the internet is stumbling onto wild, insane, and totally untrue theories about movies and television shows. I love the conspiracy theories that everyone on Grease is dead (debunked) or that everyone on Westworld is a robot (not debunked, but unlikely). Usually most of the out-there ideas exist on Reddit, but sometimes they spring up on other random sites, like the bro-friendly Barstools, which has brought us a whopper this holiday season. And it's one of the more far-fetched ones yet. A writer for the site claims that Elf could be the prequel to Step Brothers. It all started when Trent of Barstools was watching a seasonal favorite, Elf, and had a Will Ferrell character epiphany: "Buddy grows up to be Brennan."

Clue #1: Mary Steenburgen plays a mother figure to Ferrell's characters in both roles.
Elf is about a grown man named Buddy who is raised by elves on the North Pole. Then, one day, he embarks on an adventure to go find his real dad in New York City. In the city, he meets his paternal father, Walter, played by James Caan, and his new wife, Emily, played by Mary Steenburgen. Walter doesn't get along with Buddy, but Emily quickly accepts him into their family. Steenburgen appears again in Step Brothers, but this time as the mother of Brennan, a big man child who begrudgingly has to accept that he has to share a house with his new step brother, Dale Doback, played by John C. Reilly. Following the theory, Steenburgen's character leaves Walter, adopts Buddy, changes their names, moves them outside of the city where she then falls in love again, and marries a single father, Dr. Robert Doback, played by Richard Jenkins.

Clue #2: Elf came out before Step Brothers.
This is a pretty basic fact, but the fact that Elf predates Step Brothers by five years does support the theory. It also could be just enough time for Buddy to grow up (just a little), change his name to Brennan Huff, and be adopted by his maternal guardian (Steenburgen).

Clue #3: They both have little brothers.
Both Buddy and Brennan have little brothers in the movies. The age difference is skewed, but they both have brown hair?

Clue #4: They both like to sing.
Buddy duets with Jovie (Zooey Deschanel) in the bathroom, and Brennan has some singing skills himself.

Clue #5: They both cause a lot of trouble wherever they go.
In the end, the two characters have pretty similar personalities. They're both adults who can't grow up, and that, in the end, that is part of their inherent charm.

Is this crazy enough to be true? Did Buddy the Elf grow up to be Brennan Huff? Probably not, but only Ferrell knows. It's at least something to ponder when you watch either comedy for the millionth time in the weeks to come.