As The Last of Us Season 2 gears up for production, Pedro Pascal, who portrays Joel in the series, shared his thoughts on the future of his character. Season 2 is set to delve into The Last of Us Part II and will be filmed in Vancouver BC. The production timeline for the season is not yet known, but it has been teased that filming could begin by the end of the year, with a potential release in late 2024 or early 2025.

Sticking To The Source Material

The Last of Us Part II’s controversial events will not be skirted around in the series adaptation. Showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann have stated that they have no plans to tell any stories beyond adapting the games.

Joel’s Fate

In a recent interview with Esquire, Pedro Pascal hinted at the possibility of Joel’s death in Season 2. However, Pascal has not played the games or seen the sequence in which his character dies in Part II. He also remarked that it would not make sense to follow the first game so faithfully only to stray severely from the path.

Craig Mazin, one of the showrunners, said that he and Neil Druckmann are not afraid to kill off characters, but they also do not feel constrained by the source material. Although there have been teases that Season 2 “won’t be exactly like the game,” it seems unlikely that the show will omit Joel’s death, which was a significant part of Part II’s story.

Reduced Role And Importance Of Joel

Bella Ramsey, who stars alongside Pascal in the series, recently mentioned that Joel would have a reduced role in the upcoming season. However, Troy Baker, who played Joel in the games and also stars in the series, hopes that Season 2 will be just as controversial as the ending of Part I.

Although Joel may be dead in Season 2, he could still play an important role in the story. Removing his death from the narrative would require a significant rebuild of Part II’s story.

The Last of Us Season 1 is available to stream now on HBO Max, with no known production timeline for Season 2 having been made public yet. Fans of the series can look forward to a faithful adaptation of the games, with the possibility of significant departures still on the table.