Squid Game's Hwang Dong-hyuk Picks Which Marvel Character Would Win the Deadly Competition (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Hwang Dong-hyuk; ‘Squid Game’ characters in season 1.Photo:Presley Ann/Getty; Netflix

Hwang Dong-hyuk, Yang Dong-geun as Park Yong-sik, Kang Ae-sim as Jang Geum-ja in Squid Game S2

Presley Ann/Getty; Netflix

Hwang Dong-hyukwould bet on Tony Stark in aSquid Gamecompetition.

AtNetflix’s season 2premiere event in Los Angeles on Thursday, Dec. 12, the hit show’s director revealed exclusively to PEOPLE which famous figure would do well in the deadly competition.

Hwang believes Stark, who is considered one of the smartest characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, would stand the best chance at winningSquid Game —even without his technologically-advanced body armor.

Robert Downey J

Courtesy Everett Collection

Season 1’s games included tug of war, marbles, hopscotch, honeycomb carving and red light, green light.Hwang says season 2 will feature some different games.

“There were some [games] left over from the list of games that I had thought of for season 1,” he says. “So at least for season 2, it wasn’t as hard to come up with the new games.”

Hwang Dong-hyuk and the ‘Squid Game’ season 2 cast at the premiere on Dec. 12, 2024.Presley Ann/Getty

Jo Yu-ri, Lee Byung-hun, Lee Seo-hwan, Hwang Dong-hyuk, Yim Si-wan, Lee Jung-jae, Yang Dong-geun and Kang Ae-shim attend the Los Angeles Premiere & Fan Event for Netflix’s “Squid Game” Season 2 at Los Angeles City College on December 12, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.

Presley Ann/Getty

Hwang admits he would excel most at the honeycomb challenge. When he was a kid, re recalls he used Seong’s lifesaving trick seen in season 1 — licking the honeycomb to weaken the shape’s outline for easier removal.

Squid Game, first recorded in Korean and later translated into 31 languages, became a worldwide hit after its September 2021 release.Squid Gamewon six Emmys, including for lead actor, directing, production design, guest actress, special visual effects and stunt performance.

A scene from ‘Squid Game’ season 2.Netflix

Squid Game S2 Yim Si-wan as Lee Myung-gi in Squid Game S2

Netflix

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Even though season 2 doesn’t debut for another two weeks, it earned aGolden Globe nominationin the best drama series category.

“They gave us a nomination even before it come out,” Hwang says. “So it was a big surprise and big compliment. I’m so happy. I cannot be happier.”

Squid Game season 2premieres on Netflix on Dec. 26.

source: people.com