Lee Jung-jae, the breakout South Korean survival drama’s season 2 star, has teased what fans can anticipate from his portrayal of Gi Hun. Gi Hun, also known as Player 456, was the protagonist of Season 1 of Squid Game, taking part in the lethal title game to settle debts he accumulated while struggling to keep employment and developing a gambling problem. Though he is a complicated character who makes questionable ethical decisions, Gi Hun is a largely sympathetic lead who the majority of the show’s fans root for as he finds himself in increasingly desperate situations.
In an interview with GQ, Squid Game’s Lee Jung-jae reveals what Gi Hun’s season 2 character arc could entail. According to the Emmy winner, fans can expect to see new aspects of the character now that he has returned to the real world after triumphing in the games. Lee expresses his joy at being able to “perform the darker side of [Gi Hun],” implying that viewers will see him embrace the thirst for vengeance hinted at in the season 1 finale.
A Darker Gi-Hun Could Completely Alter Squid Game Season 2
While the end of Squid Game Season 1 hinted at Gi Hun taking on the mission of demolishing the lethal game that sees innocent people mercilessly killed for the wealthy elite’s entertainment, his role in society has become more nebulous. Gi Hun becomes a wealthy man after surviving the game, joining the upper echelons of an extremely unbalanced society. He is a changed gamer, whose altruism has faded into understandable cynicism & necessary selfishness. Though his mission appears to be clear, his path is bound to be fraught with internal obstacles and moral contradictions, as he must now fight for what he thinks is right in while avoiding the power that wealth brings with it.
Ultimately, whether Gi-Hun is a hero or a villain in Squid Game, the implications of his character arc are far-reaching. The show’s dark and barbaric undertones speak to larger realities of wealth inequality and the desperation of members of a society facing mass debt, poverty, & unemployment. While the show’s engrossing premise quickly gained unprecedented global popularity, it is ultimately a commentary and exploration of South Korea’s economic crisis, making Gi-potential Hun’s descent into darkness a reflection of larger social issues.
Squid Game Season 2: Everything We Know
While the details of Squid Game Season 2 have been kept under wraps until filming begins, creator Hwang Dong-Hyuk has did hint at a few aspects fans can anticipate from the continuation of Netflix’s most-watched tv series ever. Fans can expect to see more of deadly children’s game, including new competitions and a potential twist in which contestants collaborate rather than compete with one another, providing a more optimistic tone to the series’ dark premise. When season 2 of Squid Game arrives on Netflix, it will be clear whether the upcoming episodes live up to the complexity as well as intrigue of season 1.
Source: GQ