Spoilers for the Five Nights at Freddy’s movie and in-depth discussion of some popular Five Nights at Freddy’s game lore and theories.
One Five Nights at Freddy’s movie theory suggests that the film’s version of Mike is linked to another key FNAF character — and it’s not William Afton (Matthew Lillard). Known for its extensive lore, the Five Nights at Freddy’s media franchise began in 2014, with the release of creator Scott Cawthon’s first FNAF game. The point-and-click survival horror game sees the player stepping into night security guard Mike Schmidt’s shoes and weathering several shifts at a family pizzeria overrun by homicidal animatronics. Across its many installments, ranging from games to graphic novels to coloring books, FNAF gradually reveals its surprisingly deep lore.
Given the game series’ popularity online, Cawthon’s deployment of obscure FNAF lore aligns with players’ love for creating theories around the franchise’s narrative and characters. While some of the biggest Five Nights at Freddy’s theories remain unconfirmed, a few story elements are clear. Fazbear Entertainment was founded by William Afton, the series’ key antagonist, and Henry Emily. A negligent father, William was also a serial child murderer. One of Five Nights at Freddy’s biggest Mike twists reveals that he is William Afton’s son. Based on how the FNAF movie plays out, it doesn’t seem likely that Mike Schmidt (Josh Hutcherson) is William’s kid in the film continuity.
Mike, Abby & Garrett Are Henry Emily’s Kids In The FNAF Movie Continuity
The Five Nights at Freddy’s movie is packed with Easter eggs and references to the game series and its spinoff material. While some of the narrative beats remain the same, the details have been altered. For starters, the FNAF movie’s Mike believes “dream theory” will help him unlock repressed memories of his younger brother, Garrett (Lucas Grant), who was kidnapped on a family camping trip years earlier. After the abduction, Mike’s family was torn apart: his mother passed away and his father left them behind. This turn of events has made Mike the sole guardian of his younger sister, Abby (Piper Rubio).
Abby eventually befriends the murdered children-possessed animatronics, while Mike teams up with local cop Vanessa (Elizabeth Lail) to learn more about the pizzeria’s troubling past. In the Five Nights at Freddy’s movie ending, it’s revealed that the guy who got Mike the security guard job is William Afton — the same man who kidnapped Garrett and killed the other kids whose spirits still inhabit the animatronics. In one last twist, it’s revealed that Vanessa is William’s child. This means Mike and his siblings aren’t William’s kids in the movie continuity, but it would make perfect sense if Mike, Abby, and Garrett are Henry Emily’s children instead.
The Five Nights At Freddy’s Games Reiterate Henry’s Importance
Known as “Cassette Man” by players for most of the duration of Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria Simulator, Henry Emily is revealed to be William Afton’s former business partner. William, who previously owned Fredbear’s Family Diner, worked with Henry to create Fazbear Entertainment’s iconic animatronics. In the FNAF books, Henry Emily remains something of an enigma, but it becomes clear in Pizzeria Simulator that he’s riddled with guilt over partnering with William, a serial child murderer. To make matters worse, the first of the kids William killed was Charlotte — Henry’s daughter, whose soul later inhabits The Puppet. In Pizzeria Simulator, Henry Emily is out for revenge.
Not only does he want to liberate the souls of William Afton’s victims, but Henry wants to end the whole murderous saga chronicled by FNAF. Henry believes the only way to truly free the kids’ souls and end William’s reign of terror is to gather all the animatronics in the building and set in on fire, killing himself and Michael in the process. Although he remains a background character for a while, Henry Emily eventually plays a crucial role in the FNAF games’ and books’ lore. That said, it would only make sense that a Five Nights at Freddy’s movie sequel or spinoff would pull Henry into the narrative.
Future FNAF Movie Sequels Need To Incorporate Henry & William’s Backstory
In the games’ continuity, it’s often thought that William Afton has three children: Mike, a childhood bully-turned-security guard; Elizabeth, who is murdered by the Circus Baby animatronic; and the unnamed Crying Child, who is terrorized by his other brother and, eventually, fatally bitten by the Fredbear animatronic. Part of the fun of FNAF is the fan theories, which suggest nothing is a coincidence — and everything is connected. That said, it would be smart for the FNAF movie to continue that tradition. Although Vanessa is William’s child in the movie, Five Nights at Freddy’s still sets up an eerily similar three-sibling dynamic between Mike, Garrett, and Abby.
Like Crying Child, Garrett has a fatal encounter with the animatronics (or Afton), and, like Elizabeth, Abby is enamored with the animatronics. Mike, meanwhile, is more distraught and compassionate than his game counterpart but, nonetheless, fits the bill. In a fun role reversal, the FNAF movie could make these core three Henry Emily’s kids. It would explain why the Schmidts’ father (a potentially guilty Henry) is MIA in the movie. And, like in the games, the twist would help make every detail matter. Moreover, having an even deeper connection to Fazbear Entertainment would only strengthen Mike’s resolve to end the cycle of harm in future Five Nights at Freddy’s movies.
