Squid Game creator Hwang Dong-hyuk has explained why a fan-favorite Season 2 character portrayed by Choi Seung-hyun is named Thanos. Bearing the same name as the popular purple-skinned Marvel Cinematic Universe villain, one would be forgiven for believing the character inspired the purple-haired Squid Game contestant’s name.

In an interview presented by Still Watching Netflix on YouTube where he and series star Lee Jung-jae reacted to TikTok clips inspired by the show, Hwang revealed why he chose the name for Seung-hyun’s rapper character. Hwang intended for Thanos to transcend South Korean popularity and become an international sensation. “The reason I named the character Thanos, It doesn’t really suit a rapper as a name, was to design him to be a character fans worldwide could love. But I am so grateful he is getting this much love,’ he explained.

Designated as number 230 in the titular game, the Seung-hyun character’s civilian name is Choi Su-bong but he opts to use his stage name, Thanos. Squid Game Season 2 introduced him as a cash-strapped former rapper who lost everything to a cryptocurrency scam. A later episode reveals he had a drug problem. Thanos is an audacious, morally ambiguous character for whom the end justifies the means. The character bears similarities to the actor he is played by. Seung-hyun, also known as T.O.P, was a former K-Pop star who was prosecuted by South Korean authorities for marijuana possession.

Squid Game Creator Reflected On Choi Seung-hyun’s Controversial Casting

In another recent interview, Hwang reflected on Seung-hyun’s Squid Game Season 2 casting, given his controversial past. “I feel that it took him a lot of guts, in a way, to portray a character, especially someone who shares a lot of similarities that are quite negative to him as a person too. So I think it took him a lot of courage to take on that role,” Hwang said. “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.”

The Squid Game director continued, “And so this is a comeback after quite a long hiatus, and particularly because he portrays a character that’s a rapper and also someone who is on drugs. Hwang praised Seung-hyun’s performance, stating, “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.”

Squid Game Season 2 is streaming on Netflix.