And, inevitably, some social-media users took the joke one step further.
“What if Michael Jackson never died?” became the kind of playful question attached to the image.
For fans who remember Jackson’s unmistakable appearance during the later years of his career, the photograph can certainly produce a moment of surprise. Seen quickly, especially without any context, the passenger may look familiar enough to make someone stop scrolling.
But an uncanny resemblance is not evidence of a hidden celebrity.
There is no credible evidence that the passenger in the photograph is Michael Jackson, nor is there reliable evidence supporting the recurring internet theory that Jackson secretly survived his reported death.
Instead, the image is another example of something social media has become remarkably good at producing: a viral celebrity look-alike mystery.
An Ordinary Passenger With an Extraordinary Resemblance
Part of what makes the photograph so effective is how ordinary everything around the man appears to be.
