‘Squid Game’ star reveals why Front Man helped Gi-hun in season 3, and the reason will surprise you
'Squid Game’ has finally reached its conclusion with the release of season three, and even though many mysteries were solved, a new one emerged. In the latest installment of the Korean thriller, the antagonist, Front Man, was seen making an offer to the lead of the series, Lee Jung-jae's Gi-hun. While this move had left many confused, the actor who plays Front Man on screen, Lee Byung-hun, shed light on the real deal. He was asked about the help Front Man offered Gi-hun the night before the final showdown.
In the second season, we saw that the Front Man was posing as a player, becoming closer to Player 456 and appearing to even consider him a friend. In season three, he revealed his true identity to Gi-hun and also handed him a knife to give him a chance to eliminate every other player in the dangerous game, if he wished to, before the finale. Speaking about this huge plot twist in ‘Squid Game,’ Byung-hun spilled the tea with The Hollywood Reporter.
According to the actor, Front Man offered him a knife because he wanted him to survive. He felt a deeper connection to the lead than any other player in the game. “I'm glad you asked, because that uncertainty is exactly what I wanted viewers to feel when they watched that scene,” Byung-hun expressed, adding, “I played that scene thinking there are both sides to him. I believe the Front Man wanted Gi-hun to live, because Gi-hun is someone he feels differently about compared to the other players, because of the time they spent together inside the Game.”
The actor then stated that if Gi-hun had killed every other player in the game, just as Front Man did in the past, the antagonist would have “felt a sense of victory, because he would have been proven right in his core belief. He could say, ‘See? You've ended up just like me.’" This also echoed the same sentiment as old fan theories that suggested that Gi-hun could become the Front Man in the future. Byung-hun also mentioned, “On the other hand, if Gi-hun doesn't go through with it — which is what happens — the Front Man will feel a sense of defeat. He would also feel a form of self-reproach, or even envy, in seeing Gi-hun protect his values in precisely the way that he failed to do.” The Joint Security Area actor added that deep inside, Front Man was “almost rooting for Gi-hun. The deepest part of him wanted to see Gi-hun not give in and continue to hold onto hope for the world and for humanity.”
According to Byung-hun, he played that scene thinking that Front Man was going through all of these emotions all at once. Those who have watched the latest season may remember that Front Man was himself offered the same deal by 'Squid Game' creator, Il-nam (Oh Yeong-su). However, unlike Gi-hun, he chose to kill his competitors the night before the final game, thus emerging as the winner and ultimately becoming the Front Man. The actor also shared his thoughts about a Front Man spinoff or prequel with The Hollywood Reporter, saying, "Director Hwang and I have been joking about a Front Man spin-off since the beginning. 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." He also teased that if it were ever in the works, he would love to star in it.