‘Squid Game’ Creator Says Season 3 Final Scene Wasn’t Meant to Set Up U.S. Spinoff

Squid Game has officially wrapped up with its third and final season, and creator Hwang Dong-hyuk recently opened up about the show’s ending, a surprise cameo, and what he thinks about reports of an American spinoff.

In a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, Hwang made it clear that the last scene, which features Cate Blanchett as a mysterious recruiter for an American version of the Games, was not written to set up a U.S. series. Still, he admits he’d be curious to see one, especially if it’s from filmmaker David Fincher, who’s been rumored to be involved.

“Honestly, nothing has been said to me officially by Netflix about this. I’ve only read it in articles myself as well. I’ve always been a huge fan of David Fincher’s work. So if he were to create an American Squid Game, I think that would be very interesting to watch. I would definitely click on it immediately after it’s released, if it were to happen,” he said.

The final episode shows the Korean series’ villain, the Front Man (played by Lee Byung-hun), having a tense moment with Blanchett’s character, who appears to be recruiting for the American version of the Games. But Hwang said this wasn’t meant to set up more seasons or spin-offs.

“I didn’t end it on that note in order to deliberately leave room for further stories to happen,” he explained. “Gi-hun and Front Man, through these characters, the Games in Korea have ended. I wanted to end it with an American recruiter to show that even if one version of the system is taken down, the overall system keeps going. It repeats itself.”

Blanchett’s appearance was a surprise to fans, and Hwang explained how it came to be. At first, he considered using a male actor, but then decided a woman would create more contrast and impact. “There’s only one line, so we needed someone who had that level of presence and charisma to completely dominate the screen in that instant,” he said. “And that naturally led me to Cate Blanchett. I’ve always been a fan of hers.”

Hwang also talked about the decision to end main character Gi-hun’s story with a major sacrifice, which was not always the plan. Originally, he thought Gi-hun would survive and reunite with his daughter. But as the story developed and real-world issues became more present in his mind, he changed direction.

“I was witnessing more and more what was happening around the world and I thought it was more fitting for Gi-hun to send this powerful and impactful message to the world [with his death],” he said. “The world seems to be becoming, in so many different ways, so much worse ahead. I thought, ‘What kind of sacrifices do we need to make in the current generation for us to be able to leave the future generation with a better world?’”

The ending also includes a final line from Gi-hun: “Humans are…” But he never finishes the sentence. Hwang didn’t want to answer it directly either.

“I came to the conclusion that we cannot define what humans are. At one point, we have so much heart and love. And then in an instant, we are heartless and selfish,” he said. “I wanted to pose this question and invite all of the audience to think about it together: ‘What are we?’”

Even though Hwang said he doesn’t plan to continue Squid Game in its current timeline, he has mentioned before that a spinoff could explore earlier events in the series, like the backstory of the Front Man or other characters involved in running the Games. But for now, he’s left fans with a powerful ending, and maybe a hint of what could still come.

Netflix hasn’t confirmed anything about a U.S. version yet. But if it does happen, you can bet the original creator will be watching.

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