Is Pedro Pascal Done With The Last of Us Now?

So, you’ve seen The Last of Us Season 2, Episode 2… and you’re probably wondering what a show like this does with its biggest start after an episode like that. The Last of Us TV show very faithfully adapts the first two games and while there are some changes, all of the big story beats happen just as they do in the game, frequently exactly when they happen in the game too. The Last of Us is a franchise that isn’t afraid to take big swings and upset its fans, nothing is sacred in these games and the creatives will do whatever they feel is best for the story.

Spoilers for The Last of Us follow below.

The Last of Us Season 2 has pulled off the most brutal moment from the games, which involves the death of arguably the most beloved character. At the beginning of The Last of Us Part 2, players are caught off guard to learn that this isn’t going to be another Ellie and Joel adventure. In fact, Joel won’t be physically part of it. That’s because Joel is brutally murdered at the beginning of the second chapter of The Last of Us. Season 2 wastes no time getting to this moment, something that fans of the game have been anxiously awaiting for years now. So, now that Joel is gone… is Pedro Pascal really done with the show?

Is Pedro Pascal Leaving The Last of Us?

To put it very simply, yes, there will be a bit more of Pedro Pascal as Joel in The Last of Us Season 2. Just like the game, there are key flashbacks with Joel after his death which allows Ellie to reflect on her memories with him. The trailers for the show indicate that these will come later in the season, so you will get more of Joel this season. However, for The Last of Us Season 3 and beyond? You probably shouldn’t hold your breath. His absence looms over the entire story in the game and it’s likely that will extend to the show as well.

Pedro Pascal spoke with Entertainment Weekly about his death and noted that he was aware from the moment he signed on to this show that his commitment would largely pertain to the first season of The Last of Us.

“It’s not like they said, ‘Hey, we kill you at the beginning of season 2,’ but it was always an understanding that it would stay true to the source material in a specific way and that the, let’s say, practical and exclusive obligation would be for season 1,” said Pascal. “It was just a matter of how and when.”

While it wouldn’t be too shocking to have Joel appear in another flashback or something at the very end of The Last of Us, no one should hold out for it. For starters, not only is his story in the games largely done, but Pedro Pascal is going to be very busy the next couple of years. He is currently set to star as Reed Richards in Avengers: Doomsday and likely Avengers: Secret Wars, the first of which is currently in production and will release next year. The latter will likely begin production next year as well as it targets a spring 2027 release. In short, Pascal is going to be on Marvel duty for the foreseeable future and it’ll be difficult for him to have a larger role in The Last of Us going forward.