The Last Of Us Season 2 May Diverge From Major Character Death

Spoiler Alert: The post below discusses contents from the plot of The Last of Us Part 2 video game.

The Last of Us Season 2, HBO’s adaption of the popular gaming IP, is undoubtedly one of the most anticipated sequels since the success of the first season. Ever since the announcement of a second season in January, fans have repeatedly questioned the production team’s plan for Joel’s fate in the TV show, given that the character gets shockingly murdered by Abby in the game’s plot.

Pedro Pascal who plays Joel in the show has recently dropped a hint that the show might deviate from one of the most impactful character deaths in the franchise. Responding to Deadline at the Sundance Film Festival where he was asked whether Joel’s fate will change in season 2, Pedro said the production team might “surprise” everyone by altering the video game script.

I think that they’re always going to find ways to build on the incredible source material that they have, and surprise us with how they can use that material in a different format, like a television show. But I wouldn’t want to spoil it for anybody, and the truth is, I don’t actually have all of the information as of yet,” says Pedro Pascal. 

Pedro Pascal on if Joel’s arc in #TheLastOfUs Season 2 will deviate from the game | #Sundance pic.twitter.com/6iUBvMH6wM

— Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) January 19, 2024

In addition to that, the co-showrunner on the upcoming season of The Last of Us TV show, Craig Mazin has previously teased the team’s plan to deviate from source material saying that they “don’t fear killing characters,” but they also don’t feel “constrained by the source material.” Mazin went on to say that a lot of things will come off as a shock for the viewers.

There are things that will shock people, things that were in the game, things that were not in the game, and that’s okay. As long as they’re purposeful, they’re not there to just simply shock,” iterates Craig Mazin. 

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In contrast with Mazin’s answer, when Pedro was asked the same question, he rather made a very direct statement about Joel’s being wiped off in the TV show as well, saying it wouldn’t make sense for the script to diverge from the source material.

It wouldn’t make sense to follow the first game so faithfully only to stray severely from the path, So, yeah, that’s my honest answer,” Pedro Pascal tells Esquire. 

According to HBO, the show is slated for a 2025 release. It’s plausible that the production team has already decided Joel’s fate by this point. Therefore, Pedro’s statement to Deadline could hold significance. Of course, the answer to whether Joel survives can only be found when the show is out. For now, filming has been delayed to February, a one-month delay that is likely to have minimal impact on the release date.