Netflix exec alludes to entire 'Squid Game universe' while confirming Season 2 green-light

Move over, Marvel! Another shared universe could be riding into town soon. Hopping on a fourth-quarter earnings call this week, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos alluded to a wellspring of content based on South Korean hit Squid Game, while also confirming that a second season of the show is currently in development. “Absolutely,” he said with regards to Season 2 (via The Verge). “The Squid Game universe has just begun."

A sophomore outing was inevitable once Squid Game became one of the biggest television projects on the entire planet, outpacing both Stranger Things and The Witcher for the largest series debut of any Netflix Original. Back in November, creator and director Hwang Dong-hyuk revealed that he and the streaming giant were actively discussing more episodes.

"There's been so much pressure, so much demand and so much love for a second season," he explained. "So, I almost feel like you leave us no choice! But I will say there will indeed be a second season. It's in my head right now; I'm in the planning process currently. I do think it's too early to say when and how that's going to happen, so I will promise you this: Gi-hun will come back [and] he'll do something for the world."

A little over a month later, he let slip that a third season was also on the table. In addition to Gi-hun (played by Lee Jung-jae) — who decided to try and put a stop to the deadly games once and for all — Dong-hyuk also has plans to dive into the secondary narrative of the Front Man (Lee Byung-hun) and his police officer brother (Wi Ha-joon).

"If I end up creating Season 2, I’d like to explore that storyline — what is going on between those two brothers?" the writer admitted in October. "And then I could also go into the story of that recruiter in the suit who plays the game of ddakji with Gi-hun and gives him the card in the first episode. And, of course, we could go with Gi-hun’s story as he turns back, and explore more about how he’s going to navigate through his reckoning with the people who are designing the games."

Squid Game unfolds in modern day Seoul where hundreds of individuals in dire financial straits agree to take part in a number of childhood-inspired competitions (hosted on a private island for the enjoyment of wealthy elites) that could net them millions of dollars. What they don't know is that losing a game results in sudden death...and we mean that quite literally. They're killed without any hesitation.

The story spotlights a core group of key players, exploring the alliances and enemies they make throughout the perilous tournament. As the plot progresses, we learn more about each character and why they are desperate enough to risk their lives — and the lives of others — for the cash prize. Much like Bong Joon-ho's Oscar-winning Parasite, the show is an acerbic critique of social and economic inequality.

The entire first season of Squid Game is now streaming on Netflix.