The second season of Squid Game aired last year, introducing us to a whole new crop of cash-strapped wretches willing to put their lives on the line for a chance at a big pay-day. The show puts these people in a situation where they either die playing a series of deadly children's games or make it to the end and walk away with the grand prize. What will people do under those circustances? Some rise to the occasion and try to hold onto their humanity, and others...do not.
Thanos, a rapper who had fallen on hard times, very much fell into the latter category. From the start, he showed himself willing to do whatever it took to get ahead, even if that included screwing over his fellow players. Actually, he seemed to enjoy the opportunity to be as depraved as possible.
Naturally, Thanos became an instant fan favorite. It marked something of a comeback for actor Choi Seung-hyun, who himself performs as a rapper named T.O.P. Seung-hyun spent some time in jail in South Korea for marijuana use in 2017, after which he had a hard time getting work. After his charismatic performance in Squid Game, I doubt that will be a problem.
“Thanos and I have some common ground, as a rapper who went out second in a competition show and had drug issues,” Seung-hyun explained to Variety. “While you might think of me as a successful rapper, I also had my failures, so I had to come face-to-face with my past mistakes when I was looking at Thanos. It took a lot of courage for me to take on this role, but Director [Hwang Dong-hyuk] put so much trust in me."
"I don’t think Thanos is a villain, but he is a man-child. Playing this character, it was an opportunity for me to self-reflect on my past and think about what I’ve done wrong. Through ‘Squid Game,’ and Thanos, I feel like I’m ready to move on to a new chapter of my life. I learned so much from him."
And we loved watching him!
Thanos died towards the end of Squid Game season 2, which is a bummer for us at home who will no longer get to watch his antics and a blessing for the remaining players who no longer have to live in fear of him. There are still plenty of players left in the game, though. The third and final season of Squid Game will drop on Netflix on June 27. That will mark the end of the main story, but the franchise has been so ludicrously successful for Netflix that I wouldn't be surprised if we got a spinoff or sequel of sorts.
To stay up to date on everything fantasy, science fiction, and WiC, follow our all-encompassing Facebook page and Twitter account, sign up for our exclusive newsletter and check out our YouTube channel.