The director of “Squid Game” sparked a fun crossover debate by revealing which Marvel character he thought would emerge victorious from this deadly competition.

The hit Netflix show focuses on 456 financially desperate contestants who are lured into a mysterious competition with the promise of winning 45.6 billion yen (about $38 million). The trap? They must participate in a series of deadly childhood games where losing means death.

As the series prepares for the release of its second season, director Hwang Dong-hyuk reveals which famous character he thinks would do well in this deadly competition.

Hwang Dong-hyuk placed his bet: Tony Stark would be his choice to win a “Squid Game” competition.

Speaking at the Netflix Season 2 premiere in Los Angeles on Thursday, December 12, the director of the hit series shared with PEOPLE Magazine which iconic figure he believes could thrive in the series’ deadly, high-stakes games.

“Iron Man – without the suit,” Hwang explained, referring to Tony Stark, the iconic hero played by Robert Downey Jr. in Marvel’s Infinity Saga.

The first season of “Squid Game” focused on Seong Gi-hun, performed by Lee Jung-jaeas he fought to survive and win a brutal competition featuring deadly twists on childhood games. Season 1 challenges included tug of war, marbles, hopscotch, honeycomb sculpture, and the infamous red light, green light.

According to creator Hwang, season 2 will introduce a new series of games, offering new twists and turns to keep viewers on the edge of their seats. “There were [games] what’s left of the list of games I had in mind for season 1,” he said. PEOPLE. “So at least for Season 2, it wasn’t as difficult to come up with new games.”

“Three years after winning ‘Squid Game,’ Player 456 has given up on going to the United States and returns with a new resolve in mind,” Netflix said of the second season. “Gi-hun once again immerses himself in the mysterious survival game, beginning another game of life or death with new participants gathered to win the 45.6 billion won prize.”

Lee Jung-jae also spoke with PEOPLE Magazine on the excitement surrounding the highly anticipated second season of Squid Game. Reflecting on his experience, Lee shared that “the new games” were his favorite part of filming and hinted that fans had a lot to look forward to.

“So I can tell you with certainty that you are going to have even more surprises, because there are games within games, and I call them psychological warfare,” he told the outlet. “We have so many in Season 1. So one moment you’ll be enemies, the two of them will be enemies, and then the next time they’ll be friends. So you don’t know what’s going to happen.

He added: “There are so many twists and turns that you are going to be in for a big surprise.

“Because I created season 1 without thinking much about making the second season, when it was decided that we would make season 2, the pressure was indeed immense,” said director Hwang. IndieWire. “I was thinking: can I really achieve this? Will I be able to create or write something that would surpass Season 1?”

“But once I started writing, and once I immersed myself in the story of Gi-hun (Lee Jung-Jae) returning to games with his own motivations, it actually felt good went better than I thought,” he continued. “I was able to create a story that I found more intriguing, come up with more interesting characters, and also come up with more original and intriguing games.”

Released in September 2021, “Squid Game” became a global sensation after being recorded in Korean and translated into 31 languages.

The series won six Emmy Awards, including honors for lead actor, directing, production design, guest actress, special visual effects and stunt work. Within weeks of its debut, it became Netflix’s most-watched series and made history as the first Korean and foreign-language show to receive a Screen Actors Guild (SAG) nomination.

Building on its unprecedented success, Netflix launched a reality series inspired by the drama, premiering in November 2023.