Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Mickey 17!

Bong Joon-ho's long-awaited Mickey 17 builds an exciting new sci-fi world that is centered on alien species and the practice of cloning low-level employees known as "expendables." The titular protagonist (played by Robert Pattinson) is one of these expendables, with him being thrown into a world of trouble when his successor Mickey 18 is printed before his death. This spells certain death for Mickey 17, with the Nilfheim community having to decide what to do next.

By the end of Mickey 17, things have escalated to a dangerous level. Mickey 18 has attempted to assassinate colony leader Kenneth Marshall (Mark Ruffalo), while him and his radicalized followers are gearing up to wipe out the planet's native species, known as creepers. Luckily, Mickey 17, Mickey 18, and Nasha (Naomi Ackie) are able to foil Marshall's plan. Mickey 17 and Nasha work together to get the kidnapped creeper baby back to the pack's leader, while Mickey 18 uses the bomb vest that he is strapped to, sacrificing himself while killing Marshall and freeing Nilfheim.

Mickey 17 Ends The Expandable Program After Mickey 18's Sacrifice

Making Mickey 17 The Final Mickey

The expendable program is the main hook of Mickey 17, with the entire story centering around the practice of cloning Mickey after each of his deaths. In the world of Mickey 17, the expendable program is incredibly controversial, with it being made illegal on Earth. Even while on Nilfheim, a lot of colonists look down of Mickey for his enrollment into the expendable program. However, Marshall believes that it is a necessity, with Mickey being sent on all kinds of dangerous missions and having all kinds of experiments tested on him.

Upon Marshall's death, Nasha is promoted to a powerful political position on Nilfheim. Thus, Mickey and Nasha take this opportunity to put an end to the expendable program. At a ceremony, Mickey is allowed to blow up Nilfheim's only expendable printer, with it becoming illegal on the snowy planet as it is on Earth. Since Mickey 18 died shortly before this, Mickey 17 is left as the last remaining Mickey. Thus, when Mickey 17 inevitably does die, his death will remain permanent.

Can The Creepers Actually Kill All Of Humanity?

Or Were They Bluffing?

The final act of Mickey 17 is pretty intense, with it centering around a stand-off between the human colonists on Nilfheim and the creepers. Marshall has kidnapped a baby creeper, with him planning on wiping all of the creepers out at once as they surround the human base. When Mickey 17 and Mickey 18 are sent out to talk to the creepers, they learn that the creepers can emit a frequency that will kill all of humanity, with them threatening to do so if the baby creeper isn't brought back.

After Marshall is killed and the expendable program is ended, Mickey 17 gets to have another conversation with the creepers. During this conversation, Mickey 17 learns that the creepers can't actually kill all of humanity. The frequency threat was a bluff, with them being mostly harmless. However, this threat is exactly what they needed to save their species.

Why Kenneth Marshall Wanted To Wipe Out The Creepers & Colonize Nilfheim

Even Though He Failed

Kenneth Marshall is the main antagonist of Mickey 17, and while Mark Ruffalo's performance is comedic, the powerful politician's plan is pretty genocidal. As the film explains, Kenneth Marshall is a popular politician who lost an election. Because of this, Marshall and his followers began the Nilfheim mission, with them colonizing a distant planet that was capable of ing life. Upon arriving, Marshall wants Nilfheim to be entirely for humans. This is why he wants to kill all of the creepers, giving him a planet where he is the supreme authority.

What Mickey 17's Dream Sequence Actually Means

Does Kenneth Marshall Actually Come Back?

Although Mickey 18 kills Marshall and his wife Ylfa is imprisoned, this is not the end of Mickey 17's conflict. Near the end of the film, Mickey 17 has a dream that the expendable printer is back. He sees Ylfa there, with her telling Mickey to try a new sauce. Then, Ylfa begins printing another version of Marshall, with him seemingly coming back to life. Although this is a dream sequence, the audience isn't aware of this as it is occurring.

Mickey 17's Kenneth Marshall dreams highlights his paranoia, and while it is impossible for Kenneth Marshall himself to come back, Mickey is afraid that someone like him will rise to power. This is key to Mickey 17's political commentary. Even though the figurehead of Nilfheim's fascism has been defeated, another person just like him could easily rise up and destabilize things again. Mickey 17's expendable printer is meant to be a symbol of this cycle, and Mickey will have to keep fighting in order to stop this dream from coming true.

Does Mickey 17 Set Up The Sequel Book, Antimatter Blues?

It Was Released In 2023

Mickey 17 is based on the Edward Ashton novel Mickey 7, and while many viewers may not have known this, the book actually has a sequel. Ashton also wrote the 2023 novel Antimatter Blues, which takes place two years after the events of Mickey 7. In the book, Mickey discovers that a bomb has been hidden in Nilfheim, with him having to find it in order to refuel the colonists' base while avoiding conflict with the creepers.

It is unlikely that a Mickey 17 movie sequel will happen, as Bong Joon-ho hasn't been known to make sequels. While it is possible, as the story could build off of Mickey 17's ending, it probably won't happen unless Mickey 17 is a massive financial success.

The Real Meaning Of Mickey 17

What Bong Joon-ho's Film Actually Means

Like other Bong Joon-ho films, Mickey 17 is full of commentary about class, politics, power, and capitalism. The expendable program is meant to parallel how expendable many workers are, with Nilfheim's uncaring attitude toward Mickey being similar to attitudes of many higher-ups towards their employees. Kenneth Marshall is also clearly inspired by some real-life politicians, with his rhetoric and goals not being far off from some political ideologies despite the movie's sci-fi setting. While the film is a comedy, there are a lot of layers to Mickey 17 upon further inspection.