Grand Theft Auto V features an Easter Egg in Franklin's home to Red Dead Redemption protagonist Jack Marston, and it could even be a teaser for the yet-to-be-announced Red Dead Redemption 3. Red Dead Redemption and Red Dead Redemption 2 are action-adventure open-world shooters set during a fictional version of the American Wild West. An intimate and frequently violent take on the era, the first Red Dead Redemption follows former outlaw John Marston as he attempts to make a life for himself and his family. The prequel to the first game, Red Dead Redemption 2, follows John's time as part of the Van der Linde gang but from the perspective of a fellow outlaw, Arthur Morgan. Both Red Dead Redemption and RDR2's stories end tragically, but the Marston Easter Egg in GTA 5 potentially hints at a happier outcome for John's son, Jack.
The epilogue of the first Red Dead Redemption sees Jack Marson, John Marston's son, hunt down and successfully kill his father's murderer, Edgar Ross. This is meant to be a tragic outcome, as up until his father's death Jack had been more concerned with reading and literature than the life of an outlaw or bounty hunter. However, this part in the first Red Dead Redemption is a time skip; Jack's life leading up to this and after taking revenge is ambiguous. There's every chance that Jack didn't fully commit to the outlaw lifestyle, and instead fulfilled his dreams by becoming an author and retelling the story of RDR's Van der Linde gang in print sometime later.
YouTuber Strange Man recently uploaded a video of Red Dead Redemption Easter Eggs in GTA 5. One segment of the video touches on an Easter Egg that potentially references Jack Marston, which can be seen in Franklin's apartment. On a bookshelf, a book titled "Red Dead" by the author J Marston can be seen. While more of a hint regarding Jack's fate than a full-blown confirmation, there is a chance this could be important given Jack Marston's background and how it easily fits with the conclusion of Red Dead Redemption.
GTA 5 Easter Egg Could Allude To RDR3's Story
The time between the end of the first Red Dead Redemption and its epilogue offers an opportunity to show how Jack Marston gained his skills to become an outlaw and what he did after getting revenge for his father. Jack could be a great protagonist, in that in some ways he's a combination of RDR's Arthur and John. He has Arthur's expressiveness, as shown in his love for writing, but he also has John's resourcefulness. This particular GTA Easter Egg could hint at Jack writing a book about his time with the Van der Linde gang at a young age, his stories after taking revenge, and his possible time as an outlaw. Moreover, unlike the other Easter Eggs and references in the video (which ostensibly served to tease the then-upcoming Red Dead Redemption 2), this one feels as though it has real narrative weight.
Finishing off the Red Dead Redemption games through Jack Marston makes sense to the character and lends to the Old West's romanticized yet brutal nature through retellings and stories. Jack showed an interest in the myth of the Old West, but that myth came crashing down over both Anti-Western inspired Red Dead games. Seeing him reconcile that in a third game, all while writing a book that honored the lives of Dutch's gang, could make for an emotional climax. In any case, a third Red Dead Redemption feels like a guarantee for Rockstar, but with GTA 6 currently in the pipeline, players may have to face a long wait to see it.
Source: YouTube/Strange Man