Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for the film Mickey 17 and the book Mickey7.Oscar-winning director Bong Joon-ho’s new film,Mickey 17, seems to set up another big sci-fi film franchise. Based on Edward Ashton’s 2022 novelMickey7,2025’sMickey 17follows an “expendable” laborer on an ice planet colony who gets cloned every time he dies, only for two clones to eventually appear at the same time. With the award-winning director of the dystopian sci-fi movieSnowpiercerand the brilliant thrillerParasiteat the helm, this promised to be an incredible adaptation.
Though Bong Joon-ho’s new film was one of themost anticipated movies of 2025, it’s unknown if audiences will seeMickey 17’s charactersreturn in a sequel in the near future. With a decent 79% rating from critics onRotten Tomatoes, the movie has proven to be another hit for Bong, and it could expand into a larger franchise likeSnowpiercer. However, whilethe foundation for a sequel is already built with Ashton’s sequel book,Antimatter Blues,it appears that Bong has chosen to leaveMickey 17where it is for now.
Mickey 17 & Mickey7 Succeed As Standalone Stories
Image via Warner Bros.
ThoughMickey 17andMickey7feature several differences, they each present themselves as self-contained narratives with barely any material setting up a sequel. Both stories show Mickey 18 (played by Robert Pattinson in the movie, and known as Mickey 8 in the book) dying, but inMickey7, the expendables program doesn’t end, Marshall (Mark Ruffalo) doesn’t die, and the clone printer isn’t destroyed.
6 Movies To Watch Before Mickey 17
Mickey 17 is Bong Joon-ho’s upcoming sci-fi comedy movie, and the project takes clear inspiration from other successful entries in the genre.
Mickey7’s conclusion isn’t as final asMickey 17’s ending, but it still doesn’t clearly indicate that it will lead to a sequel. On the other hand,Antimatter Blueswas only written after the film adaptation ofMickey7entered production,and Ashton may have been trying to capitalize on the hype created byMickey 17.Meanwhile,Bong Joon-ho has expressed his interest in adapting the sequel in an interview withGamesRadar+, but also suggests that he will be busy with other projects for some time after 2025:
“When I was having a Zoom talk with Ed [Ashton], and he was telling me about it, and you know, he’s such a great, fascinating writer, I would love to take on the challenge but to be honest, I have a plethora of new, weird ideas that I want to tackle, so I would like to move on to those rather than a sequel.”
A Mickey 17 Sequel Is Still Possible Based On The Books
Antimatter Blues Lays The Foundation For A Mickey 17 Sequel
Yet Edward Ashton has shown us what aMickey 17sequel could look like with his 2023 novelAntimatter Blues.This book picks up years afterMickey7ended, following Mickey 7 as he tries to retrieve an antimatter bombthat he hid to prevent conflict with Niflheim’s native “creepers,” as it could help refuel his colony in its hour of need. While the movie adaptation ends with some small victories achieved by the heroes, it is still possible to put another twist like this on the story in order for it to continue.
Mickey 17’s Budget Makes Robert Pattinson’s New Sci-Fi Movie One Of 2025’s Riskiest Box Office Bets
Mickey 17’s budget isn’t as high as we expected, but it still creates a distinct challenge for the Robert Pattinson film to overcome this month.
WhileMickey7had no explicit setup for a sequel, the wayAntimatter Bluestakes the bomb that Mickey hid in the first novel and turns it into a MacGuffin shows how simple it was to create the premise for the follow-up story. Though there is no such bomb inMickey 17, the film implies Mickey’s war is far from over, asthere are still many fervent supporters of the villainous Kenneth Marshall after his death. Mickey’s nightmare at the film’s end symbolizes how Marshall’s evil ideas remain, showing how he could return in another form.
Mickey 17 Is Unlikely To Get A Sequel
Bong Joon-ho & Robert Pattinson May Not Return To Mickey 17
While Bong claimed he was interested in doing aMickey 17sequel, he hasn’t directed any sequel films in his decades-long career, leaving his movies off as standalone stories. Notably, the director is minimally involved with theSnowpiercerseries, which was inspired by his critically acclaimed movie. Also, sinceBong Joon-ho’s next film afterMickey 17is reportedly an animated feature about deep sea creatures, it’s not likely that he will make a sequel for this year’s release anytime soon.
Mickey 17’s Multiple Delays Never Derailed My Excitement & Now I Feel Vindicated
Mickey 17 saw some bumps along the road, but I always had faith it would be a great movie. Early reviews are making me feel vindicated.
It’s also unclear if Robert Pattinson will even be available to star in aMickey 17sequel.The high-profile actor is supposed to appear in Christopher Nolan’sThe Odysseyand Matt Reeves’The Batman - Part IIwithin the next few years. Given Bong’s auteur directorial style, it’s doubtful that Pattinson would star in aMickey 17sequel without him, since the former was a core creative force in making the film.
In the end,Mickey 17wrapped up its story quite well without any hanging plot threads that warrant a sequel. Nevertheless,Antimatter Bluesshows how the franchise could live beyond Bong Joon-ho’s one film despite its differences from the original novel. Bong and Pattinson’s schedules may prevent such a sequel from appearing on the big screen, but the film could still be made.
