The director of “Squid Game” has sparked an entertaining crossover debate by revealing which Marvel character he thinks would emerge victorious in the deadly competition.
The hit Netflix show centers on 456 financially desperate contestants who are lured into a mysterious competition with the promise of winning 45.6 billion yen (approximately $38 million). The catch? You must take part in a series of deadly childhood games where losing means death.
As the series prepares to release the second season, director Hwang Dong-hyuk reveals which famous character he thinks would do well in this deadly competition.
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‘Squid Game’ director picks the Marvel hero best equipped to survive
Hwang Dong-hyuk has placed his bet: Tony Stark would be his choice to win a “Squid Game” competition.
At the premiere of Netflix’s second season on Thursday, December 12, in Los Angeles, the director of the hit series announced PEOPLE magazine which iconic character he thinks could thrive in the series’ risky, deadly games.
“Iron Man – without a suit,” Hwang explained, referring to Tony Stark, the legendary hero portrayed by Robert Downey Jr. in Marvel’s Infinity Saga.
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Which games will be featured in Season 2?
The first season of “Squid Game” revolved around Seong Gi-hun, Portrayed by Lee Jung-jaeas he fought to survive and win in a brutal competition with deadly twists in childhood games. Season 1 challenges included tug of war, marbles, hopscotch, honeycomb carving and the infamous red light-green light.
According to creator Hwang, Season 2 will introduce a number of new games that offer new twists to keep viewers on their toes. “There were still a few left over from the list of games I had come up with for the first season,” he said PEOPLE. “So, at least for the second season, it wasn’t that difficult to develop new games.”
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“Three years after winning ‘Squid Game,’ Player 456 has given up traveling to the States and returns with a new resolution in mind,” Netflix said of the second season. “Gi-hun once again delves into the mysterious survival game and launches another game of life and death, bringing together new participants to win the prize of 45.6 billion won.”
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“Squid Game” Season 2 will have many surprises in store
Lee Jung-jae also spoke PEOPLE magazine about the excitement surrounding the highly anticipated second season of Squid Game. Reflecting on his experience, Lee shared that “the new games” were his favorite part of filming and hinted that fans have a lot to look forward to.
“So I can tell you with certainty that you’re going to get more surprises because there are games within games, and I call them psychological warfare,” he told the outlet. “We have so many of them in Season 1. One time you’re enemies, they’ll be enemies, and another time they’ll be friends. So you don’t know what’s going to happen.”
He added: “There are so many twists and turns that you are in for a big surprise.
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“Enormous pressure” was a key factor in shaping the second season of “Squid Game.”
“Because I created Season 1 without thinking much about doing Season 2, the pressure was actually immense when it was decided to do Season 2,” said director Hwang IndieWire. “I thought to myself: Am I really going to be able to do this? Will I be able to create or write anything beyond Season 1?”
“But when I started writing and got into the story of Gi-hun (Lee Jung-Jae) returning to the games for his own reasons, it actually went a lot better than I thought,” he continued . “I was able to create a story that I thought was more intriguing, come up with more interesting characters, and also create more original and intriguing games.”
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“Squid Game” becomes a worldwide sensation
Squid Game was released in September 2021 and became a global sensation after being recorded in Korean and translated into 31 languages.
The series won six Emmy Awards, including awards for Actor, Direction, Production Design, Guest Actress, Special Visual Effects and Stunt Performance. Within weeks of its debut, it became Netflix’s most-watched series and made history by becoming the first Korean and foreign language show to receive a Screen Actors Guild (SAG) nomination.
Building on its unprecedented success, Netflix launched a reality competition series inspired by the drama, premiering in November 2023.
