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Netflix's Squid Game season 2's Thanos shows just how deeply the MCU has penetrated pop culture
Years after Avengers: Endgame seemingly brought Thanos' story to an end, Netflix shows that the Marvel villain is still a global touchstone.
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Squid Game season two continues to be one of the biggest shows ever on Netflix as a new set of players enters the games to try to win the prize money. One new face has become unforgettable for fans, both because of his unhinged behavior and because of his easily identifiable name. Thanos might seem an odd choice for a Korean rapper’s name, but it was a very intentional decision by the series’ creator and it shows how deeply the MCU has penetrated the global zeitgeist.
In a video interview, Squid Game series creator Hwang Dong-hyuk watched a TikTok about fan reaction to the Thanos character in season two. After watching it, he explained that everything about the character was designed to make him memorable to international audiences. “The reason I named the character Thanos, it doesn’t really suit a rapper a name, was to design him to be a character fans worldwide would love. But I am so grateful he’s getting this much love.”
It really is a brilliant strategy on Dong-hyuk’s part, but it also shows the incredible cultural penetration that Marvel Studios has achieved. The biggest villain in the MCU’s history is so well known that it serves as a touchstone to a global sensation like Squid Game. From his hair to the color of his fingernails, everything was meant to remind fans of the Avengers: Endgame villain. With season two already having a record-breaking run on Netflix, it looks like Thanos has become a household name once again.
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