Getting a MovieClip into a Custom Class Extending MovieClip

programming flash
1

I have class that extends movie clip, but I can’t seem to find a way to turn an existing movie clip into the class.

Here’s the class:

package
{
    import flash.display.Stage;
    import flash.display.MovieClip;
    
    public class Character extends MovieClip
    {
        private var stageReference:Stage;
        private var characterMovieClip:MovieClip;
        
        public function Character(inputStageReference:Stage, inputMovieClip:MovieClip):void
        {
            stageReference = inputStageReference;
            characterMovieClip = inputMovieClip;

            this = characterMovieClip;

            trace("character instantiated");
        }

    }
}

The “this = characterMovieClip;” obviously creates a problem, but how else could I do this?

I’ve tried casting an existing MovieClip to the Class, which also doesn’t work.

Thanks!