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Who is Michael Van Wijk? 'Gladiators' star Wolf shocks with his appearance on 'Squid Games: The Challenge'

After his role ended in 'Gladiators,' Wijk moved to New Zealand and opened a chain of gyms

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM: In addition to featuring regular contestants, 'Squid Games: The Challenge' subtly introduced a 90s iconic star into the competition. Fans of Netflix were surprised by the unexpected appearance of Michael Van Wijk.

At 71 years old, Wijk, an Indian-born English bodybuilder, is not only known for his impressive physique but also for his roles as an actor, TV presenter, and sportsperson.

He gained widespread recognition for portraying the character Wolf in the British game show 'Gladiators.'

'Gladiators' was on air from 1992 to 1999. In 1987, Wijk was selected to be the cover star for 'Barbarian: The Ultimate Warrior.' Additionally, he auditioned for 'Dance with Wolves' but was unable to secure a role in the show.

After his role ended in 'Gladiators,' Wijk moved to New Zealand and opened a chain of gyms.

A fan tweeted, "I’m so glad the Wolf has been shot! What a loser!"

Another claimed, "Was that Wolf from The Gladiators? Or someone that looked like him?"

Wolf was player 172 in the game.

Wijk reposted on his Instagram a story of Gladiator TV. To that, a shocked fan commented, "DUDE!! I can’t wait to see this now."

Another wrote, "So awesome!"

A shocked fan claimed, "I’m definitely watching this now!"

What is 'Squid Games: The Challenge' all about?

'Squid Games: The Challenge' is based on Netflix's OG series 'Squid Games.' Some of the challenges in the games are almost the same as that of the original show.

The first challenge was "red light green light." It showed the contestants running towards the red line in order to move ahead in the show.

However, the show took a turn when the "tug of war" challenge was replaced by the "warship" challenge. As the program progressed, numerous contestants were eliminated from the game.

Towards the end, we will see only a few contestants remaining, who will then fight physically as well as emotionally to win the game and the huge prize money. With the elimination of each contestant, $100K money is added to the winning prize.

Will there be 'Squid Games: The Challenge' Season 2?

As of now, there has been no announcement regarding Season 2 of 'Squid Games: The Challenge.' Fans, upon hearing about a new show from Netflix, expressed their disappointment, stating that they are eagerly anticipating 'Squid Games' Season 2 rather than a new series.

A fan wrote on X, "Who asked for this? And who else thought it was season 2 lmao this just ruined my day. No one asked for a reality TV show lol."

Another claimed, "We need season 2, not this please."

A fan claimed, "We don’t want it, we want season 2."

Another viewer dubbed the show as "man, what is this trash?!" A fan questioned, "Is this Season 2 or not?" Yet another commented, "Who asked for this?"

'Squid Game: The Challenge' is set to release 4 new episodes next week on November 29 on Netflix.