Masked Singer Fans Already Guessed Who Mantis Is (And It Actually Makes Sense)
After the latest episode of The Masked Singer revealed Doll as Dee Snider and had Mantis rescued by Robin Thicke with the Ding Dong Keep It On Bell, viewers took to social media to analyze all the clues and guess Mantis' identity before he fought Medusa and Gargoyle in a special rescue round.
There are many clues as to who the mystery celebrity might be. During the episode dedicated to the 100th anniversary of Warner Bros., Mantis performed two very different songs, Bob Seger's Old Time Rock and Roll and (I've Got a) Golden Ticket from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. The judges noted that the celebrity sounded and acted very differently in these two performances, indicating his great acting talent.
The clue package that accompanied Mantis' first appearance contained several important details. First, the narrator revealed that the celebrity was a comedian and 'almost won an Emmy' for his work in that field.
Next, it was said that Mantis was a published author and a versatile actor who had done everything from Broadway and Shakespeare to film projects. There was also a black leather jacket, a red handkerchief, a guitar, a skull, a poker game, and cowboy boots. The final clue was a pair of sunglasses with the phrase True Story written on them, and the bug hinted that he once 'represented a legend'.
The show's panelists had a wide range of guesses as to Mantis' true identity. They mentioned Dennis Quaid, Bruce Springsteen, Cole Hauser, Kevin Bacon, and even Keanu Reeves. But fans of the show have a different opinion.
The poll created by fans on The Masked Singer subreddit shows that the majority of fans think Mantis is Lou Diamond Phillips, and that guess actually makes sense.
The actor has a distinguished career on Broadway and has been nominated for Primetime Emmy and Daytime Emmy Awards. He is known for playing poker. One of his most famous roles is Ritchie Valens in La Bamba, which fans thought the guitar and black leather jacket referred to.
The cowboy boots were probably a nod to the Young Guns franchise. Phillips is also a published author. His young adult sci-fi book Tinderbox: Soldier of Indira was published in 2020.
All of these facts make the fan theory that Mantis is really Lou Diamond Phillips sound very plausible.