The most shocking part of Squid Game’s third and final season isn’t any of its deadly games, nor even the death of protagonist Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae). Instead, it’s a cameo from the show’s final minutes, when out of nowhere, Cate Blanchett shows up.
Yes, you heard that right: Cate Blanchett, star of Tár and Black Bag, is part of Squid Game now. Her appearance comes as a major surprise, given that the show’s cast is almost entirely South Korean, and that it has never relied on Western Hollywood stars.
So, what role does Blanchett play in the Netflix smash hit, and what in the world does her cameo mean for Squid Game’s future? Let’s break it down.
What is Cate Blanchett’s role in Squid Game?
Blanchett appears in the very last scene of of Squid Game. Six months after Gi-hun’s death in the games, Front Man In-ho (Lee Byung-hun) visits Los Angeles, where he delivers the news of Gi-hun’s death to his daughter, Ga-yeong (Jo Ah-in). He also gives her a credit card so she can access all of Gi-hun’s remaining winnings from the first games, as well as Gi-hun’s bloody green track suit. (Maybe don’t give her the outfit her father died in!)
As he drives through Los Angeles, In-ho hears a familiar thwacking sound. Someone in a nearby alley is playing ddakji, the paper tile flipping game Squid Game’s recruiter (Gong Yoo) used to lure people into the Squid Game.
Who’s playing Squid Game’s stateside recruiter? None other than Blanchett, who shares a long glance with In-ho before returning to her game.
Why is Cate Blanchett in Squid Game?
Blanchett’s surprise Squid Game role hints at the future of the franchise. While Season 3 is Squid Game’s last, there are spin-off projects on the way, including a Season 2 of reality show Squid Game: The Challenge and an English-language Squid Game, developed by director David Fincher.
Blanchett has worked with Fincher before on The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, so her appearance in Squid Game Season 3 may suggest that the pair are teaming up again for Fincher’s spin-off. If that’s the case, then Blanchett also being in the original Squid Game suggests that Fincher’s project isn’t just a straight-up remake, but a continuation instead.
The Squid Game competition recruiting in Los Angeles does raise some interesting questions about what’s coming next for the games. Have they always had international contests, or did the games skip town after they were nearly discovered by the coast guard at the end of Season 3? Will the American games continue to use traditional Korean games like ddakji? Or will they switch to something from the U.S., like flag football but lethal?
Whatever the answer, we now know that if Cate Blanchett comes up to you in a snappy suit and asks you to play a game — as tempting as it would be — you need to say no.