Squid Game 2: Creator reacts to casting Thanos fame Choi Seung-hyun after being blackballed from Korean industry for using marijuana

The world has been busy obsessing over Squid Game Season 2, which has yet again managed to grab a viewership that is massive and widespread. There is so much discussion around every aspect of the show that fans have dissected every minute detail to the point where they even spotted a goof-up with a cameraman appearing in a scene. While the conversations around the show remain rampant and engaging, some controversy has also surfaced, centering on Choi Seung-hyun, who plays Thanos. His casting attracted criticism, and the show’s creator has now broken his silence on the matter.

Squid Game Creator on Casting Choi Seung-hyun

For those uninitiated, Choi Seung-hyun, formerly a member of the pop group BIGBANG under the pseudonym T.O.P., was blackballed from the Korean entertainment industry in 2017 after being arrested for marijuana use, which is illegal in South Korea. He was found guilty in 2017 and sentenced to ten months in jail with a two-year suspension from mandatory military service. This led to his absence from the industry for years until his major comeback with Squid Game Season 2. Creator Hwang Dong-hyuk has now addressed his decision to cast the star. 

“As you may know, the actor Seung-hyun, about nine years ago, got involved in a marijuana scandal in Korea and wasn’t able to do any projects for the past nine years in Korea,” Hwang said, as per Comicbook. “And so, this is a comeback after quite a long hiatus, particularly because he portrays a character that’s a rapper and also someone who is on drugs.”

Also Read: Squid Game Season 2 Review: Anticipation breeds anticipation in a sequel far from S(e)oul

Discussing Seung-hyun’s participation, Hwang added, “I feel that it took him a lot of guts to portray a character who shares similarities that are quite negative to him as a person. So I think it took him a lot of courage to take on that role. Despite the long hiatus, I have to say, as a director, he performed very impressively, and I’m very satisfied with what he did with the character.”

Fans Find a Goof-Up in Squid Game Season 2

To give you a clear idea, this goof-up occurred in Episode 7 of Season 2. In this episode, Gi-hun and some players launch a rebellion, snatching guns from the guards and killing them. In the dormitory hall, during the intense shootout, fans spotted a production oversight. In one static frame, a cameraman with a handheld camera is visible in the background.

This mistake, which the production team at Netflix Korea missed, has gone viral, with netizens sharing the error across social media. The goof-up is drawing comparisons to the infamous Game of Thrones blunder when a Starbucks coffee cup accidentally made it into the final cut of an episode.

Stay tuned to OTTplay for more information on Squid Game and everything else from the world of streaming and films.

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