Key Points:
- In Mickey 17, the Expendable Program allows for unlimited cloning of a single person to perform dangerous tasks in space colonization.
- Mickey 17’s story highlights flaws in the program, especially with the accidental creation of Mickey 18.
- The program is ultimately abolished, marking a significant shift in the fate of expendables.
Origins of the Expendable Program: Why It Exists
Mickey 17 introduces the Expendable Program, a controversial cloning system designed to assist in colonizing hostile planets. In this futuristic world, cloning technology has been perfected to create multiple iterations of the same person, allowing an expendable to be killed and regenerated indefinitely.
However, the program was banned on Earth due to ethical and religious concerns. Instead, it was relocated to deep-space missions, where expendables like Mickey Barnes (Robert Pattinson) take on high-risk tasks. The program is seen as a cost-effective solution, eliminating the need for extensive crew training by allowing a single person to die repeatedly in service of the mission.
READ MORE: Mickey 17 vs. Mickey 18: Why Robert Pattinson’s Characters Differ
How the Expendable Program Works
The cloning process in Mickey 17 follows a precise method. The ship recycles waste materials to provide raw matter for cloning. Mickey’s DNA is stored and used to generate a new body when needed. A digital backup of Mickey’s brain ensures continuity between each version.
The process is highly automated, and new Mickeys are created immediately after the previous one dies, maintaining mission efficiency. However, a strict rule prohibits multiple clones from existing simultaneously—a law that plays a pivotal role in the film’s central conflict.
Mickey 17 & Mickey 18: A Glitch in the System
Mickey 17’s survival after an assumed death results in the accidental creation of Mickey 18, violating the program’s core rule. This leads to a tense and dangerous situation, as multiple clones are considered illegal.
Mickey 17 is meek and reserved, accepting his fate within the program, while Mickey 18 is rebellious and aggressive, rejecting his expendable status. Their contrasting personalities reveal a fundamental flaw in the Expendable Program: clones are not perfect copies. Each version of Mickey retains different traits, raising ethical concerns about identity and individuality.
READ MORE: Mickey 17’s Creepers Explained: What Are These Mysterious Aliens?
Why Multiples Are Illegal: The Dark Past of Cloning
The concept of Multiples became controversial when a scientist named Alan used cloning for criminal purposes. He created two copies of himself, allowing him to commit serial murders while escaping detection. This incident led to cloning restrictions on Earth, with Multiples deemed a major threat.
Religious opposition contributed to the ban, as many believed only one version of a person should exist at any given time. Ethical concerns regarding identity and autonomy further fueled the debate, alongside security risks associated with potential abuse and deception. Mickey 17 and Mickey 18’s discovery puts them at immediate risk, as their existence is punishable by erasure and death.
READ MORE: Mickey 17 Ending: Robert Pattinson’s Nightmare Scene Explained
The Downfall of the Expendable Program
By the end of Mickey 17, Kenneth Marshall’s rule collapses, and humanity on Niflheim chooses to abolish the Expendable Program. This decision marks a turning point, acknowledging that even clones deserve dignity and autonomy.
Mickey destroys the cloning machine, symbolizing the end of human expendability. The colony embraces a new future, one that values individual life over efficiency. While other planets may continue using the technology, Mickey 17 leaves Mickey Barnes finally free to live his life as an individual, rather than an expendable tool.
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