My favourite theory regarding the life cycle of planets goes as follows:
Planets are formed in supernovas which are the birth of solar systems, not the death of stars. Supernovas are electrical events that pull matter together. Matter at near absolute zero temperatures are pulled together and formed into huge balls. The surfaces of these balls are roasted as electricity flows across them. Their interiors remain cool, shielded from the current due to the fact that electricity always follow the exterior path.
Once formed, the outer crust of planets cool down to become granite, locking inside of them huge reservoirs of liquids and gas, all solid due to the low temperature of space.
Over time, the cores heat up. They go from solid to gas. Pressure increases. At some point, most planets start to crack and expand. This does not happen equally fast for all planets. Large planets see this happen sooner and faster than small planets. Very small planets and moons may never generate sufficient internal pressure to crack their shell.
As planets expand, gasses and vapours are released into their atmospheres. This process may be slow and orderly, but can also be chaotic and catastrophic. Some planets may even explode. In general, the process has a tendency to accelerate over time until all internal gasses are released.
Planets that are able to hold onto their atmosphere will see their atmosphere grow larger and thicker as more and more gases escape from their core. Large planets turn into gas giants. Small planets may end up as empty rocky shells. Planets that explode will litter space with the debris of their shattered shells, in the form of asteroids.
In our solar system, we have gas giants like Jupiter and Saturn. These were once large rocky plants. The mini-planet Ceres in the asteroid belt may be the moon of a planet that exploded.
Venus looks like it is on its way to become a gas planet, and so does Earth. However, while Venus appears to be in the final stages of its transition, Earth still has some way to go.
Mars and Mercury may be too small to ever make the transition. However, Mars looks like it may expand at some point. It has active volcanoes. This may make Mars more liveable in the future. Mars may become a refuge for intelligent life as living condition on Earth go from pleasant to impossible.
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