Director Bong Joon Ho sets the record straight on the inspiration for Mark Ruffalo’s outrageous character in his latest film, Mickey 17. In the film, Ruffalo plays Kenneth Marshall, a comical yet cruel leader intent on creating a “pure” colony on the icy planet of Niflheim. Marshall is raucous and rowdy, obsessed with attention and cameras, and spiteful of anyone who dares to challenge his control. He spends much of Mickey 17 plotting to eradicate the native creatures of Niflheim in an attempt to take the planet for himself.
In an interview with Vulture, Bong explained that Ruffalo’s character in Mickey 17 was not based on one specific dictator, but rather multiple inspirations. He pulled from several politicians when developing the character, using a variety of real-world examples to create Marshall’s unique brand of dictatorship. This comes as people speculate over whether Marshall was meant to parody President Donald Trump. The director said:
Mark showed me photos and news articles of a particular American governor, and I showed Mark photos of a particular Korean politician who kept losing all the elections. What we mostly talked about was that dictators can be incredibly horrible and annoying, but they have this endearing quality that they use to charm the masses.
There are people who want dictatorship. I’ve seen those people up close. In that nightmare sequence, Toni Collette at one point says, You want it, I want it, we all want it, and it’s a ridiculous thing to say, but at the same time, it’s also very real. That’s why we have these dictators using the political system to go into power. We have these dictators who are elected through voting, not through a coup.
What This Means For Mickey 17
Marshall Is A Caricature Of Dictators
Bong and Ruffalo worked together to build Marshall’s character, ultimately creating a horrifying dictator who is primarily irritating, yet still charismatic enough to lead a colony. As Bong said, dictators are typically “incredibly horrible and annoying” but still manage to “charm” their followers. Despite his braggadocious and abrasive nature, Marshall is a “successful” leader because he gathered a sizable group of loyal followers—followers who were loyal enough to join him on a journey to a foreign planet.
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Marshall is motivated primarily by a need for control, and, like the dictators Bong spoke of, he uses the political system as a means of gaining unmitigated amounts of power. Prior to the start of Mickey 17, Marshall lost multiple elections, but ultimately used his foothold in politics as a way to begin his space colony. His desire to take over Niflheim and eradicate its native species similarly resembles the cruel acts of real-life dictators. Marshall serves as Bong’s snapshot of fascism.
Our Take On Bong Joon Ho’s Inspiration For Marshall
Multiple Influences Make The Character More Interesting
Image via Warner Bros.
It was a smart decision to make Marshall a caricature of multiple politicians in Mickey 17 as opposed to making him a specific parody of one leader. Using a variety of inspirations gives the zany character more dimension, making him more than just a skeleton of an existing dictator. Audiences aren’t left with a 1:1 parallel between Marshall and a dictator, but rather a unique character that has a multitude of traits pulled from a conglomerate of real-life inspirations, which also allows viewers to draw their own conclusions and perspectives on his personality.
Source: Vulture
Mickey 17
8/10
- Release Date
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March 25, 2025