After haunting the shadows ofSquid Gamefor three seasons, the man behind the mask has finally spoken — and he’s notruling out a return.Lee Byung-hun, 54, who plays the show’s stoic, whiskey-sipping antagonist known only as the Front Man, says he’s more than ready to dive deeper into the character’s tortured mind… if Netflix is game.
“Of course I’d be willing to star in it,” Lee toldThe Hollywood Reporterin a wide-ranging sit-down. “The character has already been built and designed, and I’m very compelled by him. Just as the fans are curious to know more about him, I am too. That’s a story I’d be very willing to tell.”
It’s the clearest hint yet that aSquid Gameprequel or spin-off could be in the works — particularly one centred around the enigmatic former police detective who became the brutal enforcer of the Game. According to Lee, he and series creatorHwang Dong-hyukhave even joked about the ideabehind the scenes: “We both thought that the Front Man or the recruiter could be interesting for more story, because we haven’t really explored these characters in their entirety yet.”
Did The Front Man Know Cate Blanchett’s Character?
And afterSquid Game’sexplosive series finaledropped last Friday, fans are hungrier than ever for answers. The finale pulled back the curtain on the Front Man’s psyche in some of the show’s most hotly debated scenes — including a tense face-off with Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), a cryptic visit to Gi-hun’s daughter, and a shocking final moment involvingCate Blanchettas a recruiter operating in the United States.
Lee confirmed that even he was unsure about what the final scene meant at first. “When I first read the script, I thought the Front Man had already known there was another Game unfolding,” he said.
“But the director told me, ‘Please play the scene by imagining that you didn’t know she was there.’ That was really confusing at first, but I realized it meant the Front Man was trying to believe in a new beginning — and then he sees this recruiter, and realizes this never ends. It’s all going to just keep going. So, that sense of bitterness is the main feeling he’s experiencing in that moment.”
From the sounds of it, there’s more story to be told — not just from the Squid Games around the world, but from the Front Man himself.
