Squid Game creator Hwang Dong-hyuk defends his decision to cast controversial K-pop star, T.O.P after a drug scandal. T.O.P, whose real name is Choi Seung-hyun, received a ten-month jail sentence and two-year mandatory military service after being found guilty of marijuana use, which is illegal for recreational use in South Korea. The star was then blacklisted in the entertainment industry after the scandal. T.O.P’s comeback as Thanos, Player 230, a rapper who uses drugs during the deadly games in Squid Game season 2, has received backlash from fans since the casting announcement.

In an interview with People, Hwang defended his decision to cast T.O.P as the problematic rapper. He admits that Squid Game is a comeback for the star, who hasn’t been involved in any project after the marijuana scandal. The creator stressed that it took “a lot of guts” for T.O.P to play Thanos, who “shares a lot of similarities that are quite negative to him as a person.” He’s also impressed by the actor’s performance after the long hiatus, admitting that he’s “very satisfied” with T.O.P. Check out what he said below:

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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, 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.

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.

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.

What This Means For Squid Game Season 2

Squid Game Season 2 Took A Chance With T.O.P

T.O.P’s comeback as Thanos comes from Hwang’s vision for authentic casting. The actor struggled with substance abuse and mental health issues in real life. Upon his indictment in 2017, the former K-pop star released a handwritten apology through his agency YG Entertainment, where he apologized to the public for “causing huge disappointment and disturbance.” A day into his mandatory military service, the star was found unconscious after overdosing on prescribed tranquilizers and was hospitalized. He was then transferred to another hospital for psychiatric care after regaining consciousness.

Ever since T.O.P’s indictment, the public hasn’t been kind to him, and portraying Thanos, who shares negative similarities to the actor in real life, was bound to receive pushback.

While marijuana is legalized in some states in the U.S., many countries enforce strict laws against its recreational use. The 2017 marijuana scandal had an irreversible effect on T.O.P’s career since, to this day, his face is censored on Korean TV, which makes his Squid Game season 2 casting controversial. His appearance was also omitted from season 2’s second poster, while the star has been absent throughout the show’s promotions and interviews.

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Season 2 also received backlash against the casting decision of Park Sung-hon, a cisgender actor who plays a trans woman character. However, Hwang explained in a previous interview that he initially intended to cast a real trans woman, but the lack of openly trans women actors in the country made authentic casting challenging.

Our Take On Squid Game Season 2

T.O.P’s Thanos Casting Hits Home

Ever since T.O.P’s indictment, the public hasn’t been kind to him, and portraying Thanos, who shares negative similarities to the actor in real life, was bound to receive pushback. Furthermore, viewers’ reactions to Thanos have been mixed. While many appreciate the humor and relatability of Thanos, others criticize T.O.P’s performance as “cringe” and “absolutely awful.” However, it needs to be pointed out that Squid Game season 2 didn’t intentionally make the character likable. Thanos is a flawed character, and T.O.P managed to give an incredible performance to make the antagonist one of the most memorable players in the game.