Fans are more powerful than we think. Multiple writers have admitted to reading fan theories or ships and reacting on the page — either by disproving or reinforcing them. When the theory or suggestion is adapted, this is sometimes called ascended fanon, described brilliantly by TVTropes. There are loads and loads of examples on their site, but here are 11 examples where the writers themselves have confirmed it:

By the way, ⚠️enormous spoiler alert⚠️ for every single movie and TV show on this list.