Tim Dillon Plays Ghost of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Netflix Special

Stand-up comedian Tim Dillon's wading into one of the biggest stories of 2024 ... playing slain UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in a Netflix special.

Here's the deal ... on Friday, Netflix is releasing "Torching 2024: A Roast of the Year" -- a roast taking a flamethrower to some of the biggest news stories from 2024 as we head into 2025.

Of course, arguably the biggest story of the year was the shooting death of Thompson earlier this month ... and sources familiar with the taping tell us that Dillon and Netflix didn't shy away from it.

Our sources say Tim goes on to the stage dressed in a suit -- just like Brian Thompson -- with bullet wounds painted on the back. As you know, Thompson was shot multiple times in the back at just before 7 AM on December 4.

We're told Dillon's wrapped in chains onstage -- kind of like Marley, the first ghost who visits Ebenezer Scrooge in "A Christmas Carol" -- 'cause the bit is that he's coming back from Hell where he's quite happy.

Thompson is initially visiting earth to give the speech he wasn't able to give at the healthcare conference he was to attend before the shooting. However, we're told Tim's version of Thompson lays into the crowd and world for celebrating his murder instead.

As we reported ... Luigi Mangione was arrested for the shooting -- and he faces multiple charges at the state and federal level, including first-degree murder.

This roast comes on the heels of the success of the roast of Tom Brady ... which aired back in May to a massive audience on the streaming giant.