‘Squid Game’ Creator Says Shocking Finale Scene Wasn’t Written to Launch U.S. Spinoff

The third season of Squid Game wrapped up the story for good, and now creator Hwang Dong-hyuk is talking about the ending, that surprise cameo, and all the rumors about an American spinoff.

Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Hwang explained that the final scene of the series, which shows Cate Blanchett as a mysterious recruiter for an American version of the Games, wasn’t made to launch another version of the show.

He said he didn’t write the ending to set up more stories, but to say something bigger about how hard it is to stop systems of power and control.

“I didn’t end it on that note in order to deliberately leave room for further stories to happen,” Hwang said. “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.”

Still, he’s not against the idea of an American Squid Game. In fact, he’s curious about what it could look like, especially if filmmaker David Fincher is involved, which some reports have suggested.

“Honestly, nothing has been said to me officially by Netflix about this,” Hwang shared. “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.”

Blanchett’s appearance at the end of the final episode came as a surprise to many viewers. She plays a recruiter from Los Angeles who seems to be setting up the same deadly competition in America.

Hwang said he chose Blanchett because of her presence and screen power.

“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.”

The original plan for the ending was very different. Hwang said that early on, he thought about Gi-hun surviving the Games and going to see his daughter in America. But over time, he felt that Gi-hun’s death would send a stronger message about the world we live in.

“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 explained. “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?”

One line that stands out near the end of the show is when Gi-hun says, “Humans are…” — but never finishes the thought. Hwang said he left that sentence open on purpose.

“I came to the conclusion that we cannot define what humans are,” he said. “At one point, we have so much heart and love. And then in an instant, we are heartless and selfish.”

He said the show doesn’t answer that question directly, but asks viewers to think about it themselves.

Even though Squid Game is officially over, Hwang has previously said he might be interested in doing a spinoff focused on earlier events in the story, like how the Games started, or the past of some of the key characters. For now, though, he’s said everything he wanted to say, and the series ends with a message, not a setup.

Netflix hasn’t confirmed anything about a U.S. version yet. But if it happens, the original creator will definitely be tuning in.

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