Is KJ Apa the Man Behind Mr. Fantasy? Parade Theory Explained

Is this Archie Andrews wearing a wig? Seriously, who saw that coming?! TikTok was completely ablaze when a cryptic singer named Mr Fantasy showed up at the end of August 2025. The quirky singer wears gap teeth and brunette hair, and has a vaguely British accent. Fans instantly noticed a familiar detail, though. Those tattoos look exactly like Riverdale singer KJ Apa’s ink! The Mr Fantasy phenomenon truly hit its peak with his performance at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on November 27. What is the actual story here?

When a Mysterious Singer Hijacks the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

The 99th edition of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade delivered an unintentional viral sensation. The performance was broadcast live across NBC and Peacock at 8:30 am EST. The singer belted out his self-titled debut single, “Mr. Fantasy,” while sitting on a pirate ship float. His caption following the performance says everything: “HAHAHA YES BABE IM A PIRATE.”

More than 30 million people watched the parade that day, making it a huge moment. Social media immediately flooded with comments, of course. “Wait, Is this KJ Apa?” “KJ Apa?” flooded TikTok and Twitter comments in a heartbeat. The parade performance was Mr Fantasy’s debut live appearance. This was a true landmark for the elusive artist. He has already revealed that a new track titled “Catapult” is coming soon. There’s also a YouTube video premiere countdown right now.

Digging for Clues: Why the KJ Apa Theory Won’t Die

Let’s discuss the most significant issue of all—those super distinctive tattoos! Both Mr Fantasy and KJ Apa share the same ink. The most unique design is on the right shoulder, which is pretty difficult to duplicate, you think? People have performed forensic-level analyses all over the internet. Fans couldn’t stop talking about it! The jawline is identical. The body shape is similar despite those wildly distracting costumes.

Then, there’s the whole issue of his teeth. Apa has perfect Hollywood teeth, but Mr Fantasy has prominent buck teeth with a gap. Industry insiders suggest they are prosthetics that only actors have access to. The brunette bob wig appears totally obvious to anyone who pays close attention. However, no one has ever witnessed KJ Apa and Mr Fantasy together in the same place. That is quite the coincidence!

The official TikTok account is only following James Franco fan pages. This seems odd until you consider Apa’s ongoing love affair with Franco. In a 2025 V Magazine interview, Apa confessed Franco was a huge help during a tough time. The interview concluded with Franco saying, “I am so grateful to you, my friend.” Meanwhile, Mr Fantasy constantly mentions Franco during his own interviews. He always claims Franco is his most significant source of inspiration.

Mr Fantasy’s Music Career Is Taking Off Faster Than a Spaceship

Mr Fantasy’s debut single came out in September 2025. It was immediately available across all platforms. The awesome disco-funk song already has more than five million Spotify streams! The song that followed, “Wayuwanna,” came out shortly afterward. Then, Joe Jonas commented, “WAIT A MILLION MINUTE!” in his music video. That’s a major co-sign.

His TikTok account has grown from zero to over one million followers in just three months. This is faster than what even famous people can achieve right now! The account released its first video on August 19. It had a basic greeting: “Hello TikTok. Hello, Los Angeles. Hello, world.” Within weeks, his fans were captivated by his catchy music and his quirky character.

Even Apa’s Riverdale co-star Lili Reinhart couldn’t help but get involved. Her comment was “Oh My God” under a Mr Fantasy-themed video. It’s officially a thing! The Empire State Building account trolled him, too. They asked about “the incredible athletic highs and lows that high school football has to offer.” That’s an apparent Riverdale reference! These celebrity interactions are merely fuel for the speculation over the singer’s identity.

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The (Not-So-Subtle) Denials from Both Sides

The Hollywood Reporter interviewed Mr Fantasy in September 2025. They just had to inquire about Apa. The manager, John, specifically asked them not to reference “silly actor-boy TJ Apple” in the interview. This is clearly a joke in reference to KJ Apa! The denial itself is essentially confirming the whole thing for us.

Mr Fantasy has told reporters he’s “not concerned” about any comparisons. He focuses on his fans, noting James Franco again. When asked about an acting career, he replied he’d “love to collaborate alongside James Franco” with a confident smile. The whole persona is really performance art taken to the most absurd extremes.

Apa’s not new to the alter-ego game either. During Riverdale production, Apa kept a TikTok account named “fifiisqueen.” It featured an avatar named Fifi, a total queen. He told NME in October 2021 that Fifi helps him express himself more easily. “She’s been residing within me for a long period of time,” he admitted honestly. It appears that Apa lost access to the account in August 2022. It looks like he may just have moved on to his next persona!

Keep an eye on ShowsBuzzz for further information! We will have the scoop on Mr Fantasy’s upcoming performances, music releases, and the truth about this baffling mystery!