Mickey 17 director Bong Joon Ho and actor Mark Ruffalo denied the rumors that the movie’s villain, a fascist politician named Kenneth Marshall (Ruffalo), has been inspired by the current U.S. President Donald Trump. They asserted that Kenneth was not based on any real person.
Bong Joon Ho and Mark Ruffalo deny that Mickey 17 villain is based on a real person
Joon Ho and Ruffalo appeared at a press event in Seoul, South Korea, on Thursday, February 20, and clarified that Kenneth Marshall was not inspired by any individual from the real world. This comes after speculations circulated that Trump might have inspired the character.
“As the film portrays various political nightmares and depictions of dictators, viewers appear to project their own history onto them,” said Joon Ho (via K-VIBE).
The Oscar-winning filmmaker recalled an incident to underscore what he was saying. During the movie’s premiere at the ongoing Berlin International Film Festival on February 15, an Italian journalist asked Joon Ho whether Benito Mussolini was the inspiration behind Marshall.
Besides directing, Joon Ho produced the movie and also penned the screenplay based on the science fiction novel Mickey7 by Edward Ashton. The sci-fi dystopian comedy movie revolves around Robert Pattinson’s Mickey Barnes, a destitute man with dreams of leaving Earth. He agrees to be an expendable clone laborer in Niflheim, a human colony. Mickey is supposed to get a new body every time the current one dies. Things become complicated when Mickey 18 comes alive even though Mickey 17 isn’t dead. Marshall is a politician on Niflheim and harbors nefarious plans for the colony. Toni Collette plays Ylfa, Marshall’s ambitious wife.
Reflecting on his character, Ruffalo agreed with Joon Ho. “He is an archetypal petty dictator. We’ve seen this kind of leader time and time again over the last century,” he said. “They are all the same — egotistical, fragile, self-centered, and self-serving,” Ruffalo added.
The MCU actor noted that he drew from various individuals to develop his character. During the same event, Joon Ho observed that Ruffalo gave “a compelling and universally resonant portrayal of his character by seamlessly blending various elements.”
Mickey 17 premieres in the U.S. on March 7, 2025.
