Summary
Hwang Dong-hyuk penned and directed Netflix’s hit seriesSquid Game. He introduced numerous new characters in Season 2 and shared one of his favorites.
Dong-hyuk shared in previous interviews his road to success withSquid Gameand it wasn’t easy. He pennedSquid Gamein 2008 amid his financial struggles and received several rejections for over a decade beforeNetflixgreenlit it.Squid Gamewas initially a standalone story, but due to its unprecedented global success, the streaming giant renewed it for two more seasons. Dong-hyuk expanded the story and added more characters forSquid GameSeason 2. The series creator named one of his favorite characters from the second season.
Dong-hyuk sat down for an interview withThe Hollywood Reporterdays after Netflix releasedSquid GameSeason 2. Since most of the characters inSquid GameSeason 1 died because of the fatal tournament, new people joined the second season. During the chat, the interviewer mentioned the broiling “civil war” between the players who identified themselves as Xs and Os. The Xs are the players who want to end the game so they can leave and go home. The Os are those willing to risk their lives to continue the tournament, hoping to bring more money home. The interviewer mentioned he was surprised Thanos, portrayed by K-pop star T.O.P, whose real name is Choi Seun Hyun, died during the brawl. At that point, the series creator admitted Thanos was a special character for him.“As for Thanos… he’s one of my favorite characters, too!”Dong-hyuk said.
Although thecreator of Squid Gameis a fan of Thanos, he decided to kill the character off because he felt it was the right thing to do for the plot. However, he also admitted that he found Thanos’ death so “sudden.”I believe that was the right time to see him off. Although I will admit, I do think the death was sudden. It was very intense, which was the right way at just the right time for him to go,” he explained. He teased that despite Thanos’ death, his impact would be felt in the next season. “The way he leaves the story, if you watch until the third season, it will almost feel as if he’s still there in some ways in terms of how he affects the plot,” Dong-hyuk continued. When asked about a potential spin-off and if he considered writing Thanos’ background story, the filmmaker said, “I’ll think about it.”
Thanos’ presence inSquid GameSeason 2 is very noticeable because the character balances the dark and serious theme of the show. His bizarre, vibrant, and unpredictable behavior stands out. His interaction with the other players, including his playful antics and confrontation with them, are probably among the best moments in the series. At the same time, some might find the character with the purple hair annoying and cringe because of his strange conduct. Thanos is funny and seems to be not serious about what he does. However, he also gives that dangerous aura. T.O.P.’s acting prowess was impressive because he successfully portrayed the character with a unique energy.
However, his casting drew mixed reactions, especially in the Korean media. Many disapproved of him due to his past controversies. T.O.P. was previously sentenced to 10 months imprisonment for a drug-related crime. It was believed that the scandal was whyhe was removed from some ofSquid GameSeason 2’s promotional materials. Nevertheless, there is no doubt that Thanos is hard to miss.
