Squid Game season 2 – officially just Squid Game 2 – is in full swing over at Netflix Korea. This week early casting news dropped at the streamer’s Tedum event in Brazil, via a 105-second teaser video.
Lee Jung-jae returning as ex-gambling addict and season 1 survivor Gi-hun, alongside Lee Byung-hun as the shadowy Front Man, Gong Yoo as The Salesman and Wi Ha-jun as police detective Hwang. Four new members have been announced too – Yim Siwan, Park Sung Hoon, Kang Ha Neul and Yang Dong-geun – though their roles remain underwraps.
Having pressed send on it, Team Squid Game probably sat back, satisfied at a job well done. At least, until social media twigged that there were no female actors or characters mentioned in the announcement.
Where were the actresses to follow in the footsteps of season 1 breakouts Jung Hoyeon and Lee You Mi?
’Not a single woman in that Squid Game 2 cast when she’s the reason it even got that popular in the first place,’ ran one tweet with a gif of Lee Yoo-mi’s Ji-yeong. ’Not gonna watch Squid Game 2 if there aren't any women,’ said another.
Not a single woman in that squid game 2 cast when she’s the reason it even got that popular in the first place🌚pic.twitter.com/OAjrTSpI4j
— 𝙍𝙞𝙣𝙖 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙛𝙡𝙤𝙥 (@Huisstallion) June 18, 2023
I know it's too early to say thx but no girls in Squid Game 2 teaser😳. Like i get it there are so many movies were lead female actresses were supposed to be credited first than the male lead. There are so many movies with one main female and a bunch of main guys. Not fair
— Leccin Baby (@LeccinB) June 18, 2023
not gonna watch squid game 2 if there aren't any women
— an na is seeing aespa (@neolueur) June 20, 2023
there's not a single woman amongst the cast of squid game 2, I'm screaming
— 🦝 rani (@rani__ki) June 18, 2023
where the female cast at..... https://t.co/7vNuiU5HgM
— Natalié (@bigupyuhslf) June 18, 2023
Netflix has done some hasty online firefighting to point out that this was merely the first casting announcement. ‘This was the first cast announcement for Squid Game season two,’ a Netflix spokesperson told Insider. ‘We’re excited to share more casting news soon, which will include the leading female characters.’
Here’s hoping for a female breakout or two to match season 1’s Kang Sae-byeok (Jung Hoyeon) and Ji-yeong (Lee Lee Yoo-mi).