Bong Joon Ho says Mark Rufflao's Mickey 17 character isn't based on US President Donald Trump

Oscar-winning filmmaker Bong Joon Ho is fully aware of the speculation surrounding Kenneth Marshall, the eccentric and power-hungry politician played by Mark Ruffalo in his new sci-fi comedy Mickey 17. However, the filmmaker has firmly dismissed any claims that the character is a direct parody of US President Donald Trump.In a recent interview, the South Korean director clarified that Marshall is not modelled after any single political figure but is instead a fusion of multiple historical leaders. "A mix of many different politicians" and "dictators that we have seen throughout history" served as the inspiration, Bong explained.

Despite the surface-level resemblances—Marshall's flamboyant mannerisms, vocal inflection, and even his on-board TV show—Bong emphasized that audiences might be reading their own concerns into the character. "When we showed the film in Berlin and talked to people from many different countries, it seemed like people were projecting the most stressful political leader onto the character of Marshall," he noted.

Bong also highlighted the role of Marshall’s wife, Gwen, played by Toni Collette, as a key aspect of his character. He pointed to historical examples of authoritarian couples, reinforcing that the character’s dynamic is not rooted in any single modern-day politician. "They move as a couple," Bong explained, referencing figures like Romania’s Ceaușescus and the Marcoses of the Philippines.

While Mickey 17 contains political themes, including colonialism and authoritarianism, Bong underscored that the film is, at its core, a love story rather than a political satire. "Although Mickey 17 has all these political layers, in the end, the story really revolves around this individual of Mickey," he said. The heart of the film, according to Bong, lies in Mickey’s struggle for survival and his bond with Naomi Ackie’s character, Nasha. "In the end, the story is: how does he manage to survive this horrible system and not get destroyed? How does he manage to protect himself? And that's why Nasha is so important for this film. For me, the film is a love story," he said.