Director Bong Joon Ho’s sci-fi comedy Mickey 17 is a movie that really makes its audience think. However, in a film featuring clones, a planet full of alien Creepers, and space-age mobsters, one of the most baffling things about Bong Joon Ho’s Mickey 17 is the man in the pigeon suit.
There is no explanation for who he is or what his costume represents. He appears throughout the character’s trip to colonize the planet Niflheim, often appearing in publicity stunts alongside Marshall. While little is said about the pigeon suit man in Mickey 17, his presence says a lot about Marshall and the religion supporting him. While the character himself doesn’t do much, his appearance in 2025’s Mickey 17 helps the film execute its social satire about how people exploit religion for personal and political gain.
Why There’s A Man In A Pigeon Suit In Mickey 17
The Pigeon Man Suit Is A Bizarre But Significant Figure In Mickey 17
While the pigeon man suit seems like a random character, he is a tool used by Mickey 17‘s villain, Kenneth Marshall. As a politician, Marshall and his journey to Niflheim are backed by a conservative church, sometimes called “the company” in the film. While this religion already had an explicit presence in Marshall’s expedition, the politician takes it one step further with the man in the pigeon suit, with the pigeon being the church’s mascot.
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While it seems like a beautiful symbol on paper, having a guy walk around in a giant bird suit detracts from it and makes it hard to be taken seriously. Even the man in the suit himself seems to hate his job, knowing how ridiculous and degrading it is. This seems intentional as it fits Bong Joon Ho’s satirical depiction of politics in Mickey 17, as Marshall and his collaboration with his church represent how religion is often conflated with real-life politics.
What The Pigeon Suit Man Represents In Mickey 17
The Pigeon Suit Man Embodies Corrupted Politics And Religion In Mickey 17
Throughout Mickey 17, Marshall uses the church to promote his image, often by having the pigeon man next to him. Though he tries to look like a just leader, Marshall really acts like an immoral dictator. As he tries to colonize Niflheim in the name of manifest destiny, Marshall simply uses religion to justify committing several atrocities as he attempts to wipe out the Creepers.
The pigeon is actually a fitting metaphor for Marshall in the film: it presents itself as a symbol of God, but it is really just spreading disease.
Unfortunately, the way Marshall uses religion to support genocide has been seen many times throughout human history. In fact, the pigeon, as the symbol of Marshall’s church, parallels how the Holy Spirit appears as a white dove in Christian imagery. The pigeon is actually a fitting metaphor for Marshall in the film: it presents itself as a symbol of God, but it is really just spreading disease.
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All in all, the pigeon suit man adds to the quirky humor presented throughout Mickey 17. He embodies the propaganda spread by Marshall and his church, which are both the source of great political satire. The film already features a strong social commentary, with Marshall standing in for real-life tyrants who masquerade as “chosen” leaders. However, the pigeon suit man hammers down just how ridiculous and hypocritical people like Marshall really are.
Mickey 17
8/10
- Release Date
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February 28, 2025
- Runtime
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137 minutes
- Producers
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Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Marianne Jenkins, Dooho Choi, Jesse Ehrman