Squid Game's third season finale is now available to watch on Netflix, and wraps up much of the series' story so far. But is this really the end, as the show's creator has previously suggested?
Fans say a huge Hollywood cameo in the episode's final moments strongly suggests otherwise — and that it may have been added as a deliberate tease for how Squid Game could now continue, should Netflix desire.
Warning! Spoilers for Squid Game season 3 follow.
In the finale's closing minutes, viewers get to see a new Squid Games recruiter working on the streets of Los Angeles — something that reveals the Squid Games are truly global, and extend well beyond the version located within Korea that the series has focused on so far.
And who exactly is recruiting for this Los Angeles version of the games? It's none other than Oscar winner Cate Blanchett, star of Thor: Ragnarok and The Lord of the Rings.
While Netflix had largely kept Blanchett's appearance in the finale under wraps, her involvement had been leaked online earlier this week by notorious industry insider MyTimeToShineHello, who stated that the actress had been cast and that the appearance was a deliberate set-up for a possible Squid Games "American spin-off that David Fincher is developing".
Netflix has made no formal announcement on Squid Games' future, let alone the involvement of Fincher. But the Fight Club director would certainly make sense, having previously worked extensively with Netflix on House of Cards, Mindhunter, and Love, Death & Robots.
Earlier this week, Squid Game star Lee Byung-hun, who plays Front Man, suggested the show's third season may not be the last we see of the franchise.
"Director Hwang keeps saying it's a finale. But when I first read it [the script], I felt it could be a finale, but at the same time, it could be a new start," Byung-hun teased. "It's my personal opinion, but if the audience's love and support increase, we'll never know what happens."
Squid Game creator Hwang Dong-hyuk, however, has sounded more certain that his involvement with the show is now over, whatever happens next with the franchise.
"It's the finale for the whole series. The whole show,” Hwang has said. "It's time to say goodbye."
But while Hwang may be ready to end his time with Squid Games, Netflix seems to be leaving the door open, at the very least.
"This final chapter isn't without flaws, but it still delivers the suspense and cinematic polish that made Squid Game a hit in the first place," IGN wrote in our Squid Game season 3 review.
Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
