Squid Game never fails to keep fans on the edge of their seats, leaving us gasping at every turn. Season 3 finally hit Netflix on June 27 and lets just say, this final season is sure to keep fans on their toes with its twists and surprises. Spoiler alert: Spoilers for Squid Game Season 3 follow. One of the season’s more surprising moments came during its finale, with the reveal of a new character that no one could’ve predicted, played by Cate Blanchett.. This moment has fans wondering, will the games be making their way to the states for a U.S. version of Squid Game? Here’s what we’ve seen and know so far.
The final moments of the show take us to the streets of downtown Los Angeles. A close-up shot shows the familiar slam of the blue and red Ddakjis hitting the ground. The camera pans up to show the new recruiter, in their usual suit and tie, who is revealed to be played by… Cate Blanchett? She is shown standing expressionless with the man she has challenged to the game, slapping him in the face as viciously as the previous recruiter. The Front Man, unmasked, pulls up in a car to the alley she stands in and the two make eye contact for a moment, with Blanchett’s character giving him a knowing (and pretty haunting) smirk. The man she plays the Ddaki with agrees to try again, and Blanchett’s character repeats the same cycle — throw and slap — that has become emblematic of the series as a whole.
Blanchett follows in the footsteps of Gong Yoo, the renowned actor that played the original Korean recruiter before his death in Season 2. The series has kept with the trend of notorious, award-winning actors playing the recruiters, giving audiences the same initial shock once their identities are revealed, regardless of which country they’re viewing the show from. Squid Game’s director Hwang Dong-hyuk stated that portraying the American recruiter as a woman was completely intentional, as it was more “dramatic and intriguing.” He also shared that Blanchett was the ideal actress for the job, as they needed someone who could “dominate the screen with just one or two words” and act as a gripping follow-up to Gong’s character.
The shocking reveal of Blanchett as a recruiter, challenging unsuspecting victims in Los Angeles, showed that the games haven’t ceased, and are potentially expanding around the world. So, what does this mean for the series? Can we expect an American spinoff? While there’s no confirmation just yet, this final scene definitely plants the seed for a new storyline. Considering the show’s massive success globally — including the existing reality show spin off Squid Game: The Challenge — a new take on the show doesn’t seem unlikely.