Theory:Matt Parkman

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The following fan theories are about Matt Parkman.

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Theories

Theory	Citations	Notes
Matt is a clone of Maury Parkman.	They both have the same ability.	+ Very few other characters have the same- or even similar- abilities as their parents. - Matt still has his hair, while Maury is balding. + Matt and Maury are not the same age.
Matt is able to read the minds of animals.	A turtle seemed to speak to Matt to tell him where he could find water.	- The voice Matt heard ended up being Usutu. • The sound of the voice was that of Usutu, but it could have been the turtle actually speaking. Why would Usutu tell him where to find water when he had a canteen of water already?
Matt can kill with his ability.	He implied this to Knox.	+ Bob said that whatever the brain controls, Matt can control. + If this is true, he could possibly make the brain stop the heart beating or stop someone breathing. + The good side needs some more offensive abilities, if they are supposed to defeat the villains. - Having wit/smarts can be just as effective or more effective than an offensive ability. + Betty was able to kill someone with her ability. Since Matt's ability allows him to do the same thing as Betty/Candice, it can be reasonably assumed that he can kill someone as well. + If Matt can control the functions of the brain, by all means he can stop the brain from functioning all together.
Matt Parkman is a stronger telepath than Arthur Petrelli was.	None.	+ Matt was able to free Angela Petrelli from the "coma" Arthur put her in. - Matt was only able to get her out because Arthur "unbound" her after she told him to. + Because Matt was able to overcome Arthur's influence, twice (the locked doors, Daphne). • Arthur may have stolen telepathy from a person whose ability was not as highly developed as Matt's. - It's not about how the developed the power is when it was absorbed, but how good a person is with it, Arthur had telepathy for a much longer while than Matt. + It doesn't mean Arthur was a more powerful telepath. + In "Behind the Eclipse: Week Eight", Joe Pokaski and Aron Coliete commented that "Matt’s power is evolving in ways that his father's never did."
Matt will become the next major villain.	None.	+ The power of precognition is one that requires great strength of character and responsibility. Matt's shirking of his ex-wife and son, his job, his family ties, and his immature relationship with Daphne all have roots in negativity and irresponsibility. - Matt thought that the baby wasn't his; he had good reason to be "negative". + The baby is his. - He could still get bitter at Janice for not telling him the truth. - Isaac had some major flaws but was still considered a 'good' prophet. - Even though he was a serial killer, Sylar seemed to look for retribution from his mother after gaining the power of precognition. - How does Matt's relationship with Daphne "have roots" in either negativity or irresponsibility, let alone suggest Matt's potential for villainy? Furthermore, how is it immature? + Angela Petrelli is a good example of a villainous prophet. + Arthur, to an extent, was a villainous prophet. • He was a villain long before he gained precognition. - Not only precognition requires strength and responsibility. For example, space-time manipulation does. Hiro was childish and irresponsible, but he successfully became a hero. • He has also done very irresponsible things because he wanted a quest, such as allowing his half of the formula to be stolen.
Matt actually has the power of psionic mimicry.	None.	+ Matt never developed powers until he was near those with mental abilities, and seems to be able to master those abilities with relative ease shortly after being exposed to them. - Matt was shown to struggle with his ability at first, picking up thoughts when he didn't want to. + Matt first developed telepathy after being told by Eden to go eat donuts. The Haitian was nearby. + Matt's power expanded to full blown telepathy and casting illusions after reuniting with his father, Maury Parkman, and being trapped by him in a nightmare. - They had the same ability. Matt simply picked up some new tricks. • Ted Sprague tried something new with his power. This new trick wasn't radioactive. • It was still related to radioactivity. + Matt developed precognition shortly after meeting Usutu, a precog and eating his paste. + This would also explain the 'feedback' Matt and Peter Petrelli experienced when they first met, as both their powers were trying to mimic each other. + Bob Bishop said that whatever the brain controls, Matt can control. • Telepathy can be used in different manners, it's not a specialized ability such as illusion or persuasion. - Matt encountered Angela several times, but he never saw prophetic dreams, although her ability is mental. - Matt encountered the Haitian several times. Although telepathy can be used to supress memories (as shown by Arthur in Villains), nobody has used it yet to negate abilities of others. + The Haitian suppressed Matt's ability each time they met, perhaps Matt never had an opportunity to absorb his power. - Sometimes Matt could overcome the Haitian's ability and read thoughts, although in single words. - Telekinesis is a mental ability too. But neither Matt or Maury moved things with their mind. - The same with enhanced memory.
Matt will reunite with Janice.	They share a child. (Cold Snap).	+ He talked about her to Daphne in her mind and clearly misses Janice. - She might not want him back as she did cheat on him in past. - Matt has never bothered to check on her since his vision that Maury caused of the baby.
Daphne's death will make Matt more like the Matt Parkman of the explosion future.	None.	+ Losing Daphne might engender bitterness in Matt, especially given the circumstances that led to her death. + Not to mention what Matt went through with Janice. - Matt and Janice could reconcile. + In the explosion future, Matt is extraordinarily rancorous. It is possible that this was the post-Daphne Matt Parkman. + The present timeline is similar to the explosion future in other aspects as well (Nathan rounding up evolved humans, Noah and Sandra's break-up, etc).