Hwang Dong-hyuk’s show ‘Squid Game‘ released on Netflix a few days ago. The new season saw the return of many fan-favourite characters, including the salesman, played by none other than Gong Yoo. And well, we must say, he delivered a terrific performance, so much so that it earned him praise from the viewers worldwide.
The show’s first episode, ‘Bread and Lottery’, ends with Gong Yoo’s character losing in his own game of Russian Roulette and shooting himself. The second episode, ‘Halloween Party’, begins with Choi Woo-seok (Jun Suk-ho) of Sunshine Capital knocking Hwang Jun-ho (Wi Ha-jun) out as the policeman attempts to arrest Seung Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) for the alleged murder of the salesman.
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director, hwang donghyuk, mentioned gong yoo in his latest interview. “the part where he puts the gun in his mouth was actually gong yoo’s ad-lib. watching that, i realized how much he had been holding back to fully embody the villain.” pic.twitter.com/IfTILFzesR
— 공유, 배우이자 인간 (@thegongyoo) January 5, 2025
Now, some eagle-eyed fans have spotted something interesting. This detail made some wonder whether Gong Yoo’s character is alive and might return in the third season. What are we talking about, you ask? In the scene at the beginning of episode two, while Gi-hun and Woo-seok talk, the salesman’s eyes appear to open. His eyes are open even when Woo-seok yells at him for killing his boss. Some fans wonder if this was a mistake, but some believe it was intentional, hinting that he might return again in the final season.
A fan wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter), “I knew the salesman was alive.” Another fan wrote, “They never showed us what happened with the body… I have questions.” “Probably was blinking after staying with the eyes open for too long, it was not intentional, I can’t believe it is intentional,” wrote a fan.
I knew The Salesman was alive 😂😂😂#SquidGame2 pic.twitter.com/MlnxIGklb8
— ^^; (@gongyoo_ni) January 6, 2025
Probably was blinking after staying with the eyes open for too long, it was not intentional, I can’t believe it is intentional 😂
— ^^; (@gongyoo_ni) January 6, 2025
They never showed us what happened with the body. I have questions 📝
— Ji Eun Tak’s Cabbage🥬 The Trunk November 29 🛄 (@GiftOfCabbage) January 6, 2025
This is what i was talking about in the yoo&i twt community 🤣🤣 salesman apologists were saying it’s muscle memory and the spasm did it. but it’s also weird if this was a mess up and the editors just didn’t notice LOL
— anne | 트렁크 🧳 (@acciojicheol) January 7, 2025
Will the salesman be in the third season? We don’t know💁🏻♀️
— mily_zaza07 (@Mily_zaza) January 6, 2025
Im torn between knowing no one can survive that hit + knowing that Gong Yoo is too good of an actor to make this accidental 😭
— DZ (@Jemwo) January 7, 2025
Bros gonna return in squid game season 3 👿👿
— Foggy18 (@18_foggy) January 7, 2025
Will he return in ‘Squid Game‘ season 3? Only time will tell.
The second season ended on a cliffhanger with The Front Man (Lee Byung-hun) killing Seung Gi-hun’s friend, Park Jung-bae, in front of him.
The third and final season is expected to be released in June 2025.