Rapper Swings was once considered for the role of Thanos in 'Squid Game 2,' according to the series' writer-director, Hwang Dong Hyuk.

In a recent interview, Hwang Dong Hyuk shared that the production team initially held auditions to cast the role of Thanos. While conceptualizing the character, he revealed he watched 'Show Me the Money' and thought, "Since the character uses drugs, I thought he would be 'high.' His energy is somewhere out of this world. In that sense, I felt the character inevitably had to be exaggerated."

On holding auditions for the role, he explained, "We intended to cast younger actors, but we couldn’t find the right fit. We even considered Swings, but there were significant concerns about whether he could act."

Hwang continued, "Choi Seung Hyun (T.O.P) was also on the casting list, but he had been inactive for a long time, and we were aware of the marijuana incident. On top of that, since the character is somewhat similar to himself, we thought he might see it as self-mockery and naturally wouldn’t want to do it. We decided to ask him if he’d even consider auditioning, and after a long time, he responded. He said he’d give it a try."

On ultimately casting T.O.P, the director added, "He did a script reading in front of me, and I saw potential."

However, the casting choice has sparked mixed reactions online. Many netizens argued that they "would have watched the show if it had been Swings instead of T.O.P." Some speculated that Swings could have brought a fresher perspective to the character and that the role might have suited him better.

Notable comments from netizens include:

"Honestly, if it had been Swings, I would have watched it."

"Swings probably would have acted better."

"I think Swings would have done a good job."

"He looks more like Thanos than T.O.P."

"Swings would have been a better choice."

"Since it’s a character with swagger, I think Swings would have nailed it."

"I think he would have done well."

"Swings might have been a better pick."

"I wish Swings had played the role instead; I got so annoyed every time T.O.P appeared. It made me mad."

"Honestly, neither T.O.P nor Swings has exceptional acting skills, but at least Swings would have brought a fresh vibe. Seriously."

"Actually, neither of them is great."

"Did they really offer the role to T.O.P first?"

"I don’t think the character necessarily needed to be a real rapper. The pool of candidates was way too narrow, and T.O.P’s rapping was so cringey anyway."

"Does T.O.P even act well?"

"It suits him, lol."

"Since Swings is a rapper, his diction is clear, so he’d have been better than T.O.P. Honestly, without subtitles, I can’t even understand what T.O.P is saying."

"Isn’t the character more like a Changmo vibe than Swings?"

"Better than a drug offender. Swings can rap well, and his look matches Thanos more."

"While watching the Thanos-like character, I also thought it would have been fresh if they cast actual rappers. Swings came to mind too."

"The fact that a drug offender played a drug-related role made it feel like they were trying to redeem him. It came off as a weird form of self-deprecating humor, lol."

What do you think about this casting decision?

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