You’ve probably heard the news. Pedro Pascal is chosen as the lead in the upcoming The Last of Us TV show. Indeed. HBO is currently developing a The Last of Us – the TV Series. And the actor is going to portray the role of Joel in it.
Now, I’ll get in a bit more details about the upcoming TV show. And of course the man himself. Not to mention the original video game and last year’s controversial sequel. I will cover everything here, don’t you worry. However, let me just mention that Pedro Pascal’s co-star in the TV show will be his Game Of Thrones co-star. The young Bella Ramsey got the chance to portray the role of Ellie, and honestly I can’t wait for this show.
Pedro Pascal Is Joel
Yes, Padro Pascal has been cast in the role of Joel. But it’s not the first time I’ve written about a TV project that has Pedro Pascal in the lead role. Just last year I wrote about The Mandalorian. An amazing show in Pedro has the leading role too. That of the Mandalorian of course. And you can check it out once again here. You’re welcome.
But who is Joel? Let’s take a closer look at the character of Joel. Before we take a closer look at the actor inside the role.
Who Is Joel Anyway?
Joel Miller is the lead character in The Last Of Us and in the sequel, The Last Of Us 2. Furthermore he’s the main protagonist of the video game series. And is tasked with escorting the young Ellie across a post-apocalyptic United States. Why? Well in an attempt to create a potential cure for an infection to which Ellie is immune. In addition to being the lead in The Last Of Us, he’s a very complex character.
And one of the most well received characters in the entire gaming industry. Not to mention his character and relationship with the young Ellie is constantly getting a lot of praise. For being relatable and protective. And according to the creator Neil Druckmann, the point of the character is to be likable and to have a special bond with the character of Ellie. Which he succeeds admirably I might add. Troy Baker portrays the role of Joel in the video games, while Pedro will portray Joel in the upcoming TV show.
Pedro Pascal And The Last Of Us
And what about the TV series? Well, there is some info regarding the TV show, but that’s not all that much. Honestly it makes sense, since The Last Of Us TV series is in early development. And aside from the two lead actors, there isn’t any confirmation regarding the rest of the cast. Not right now anyway. However, from what we do know is that Neil Druckmann and Chernobyl’s Craig Mazin are the current co-creators of the show. Next, Gustavo Santaolalla will take care of the score, while Kantemir Balagov will direct the pilot episode.
And from HBO’s own personal insight, the plot of The Last Of Us TV show will focus on the smuggler Joel and the teenager Ellie. According to the synopsis, the story takes place 20 years after modern civilization has been destroyed. Joel, a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle Ellie. A 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone. What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal, heartbreaking journey. As they both must traverse across the U.S. and depend on each other for survival.
Great Potential In The Last Of Us TV Show?
And that’s pretty much it. That’s all we know about the plot of the TV show. There’s also no air date, or anything even remotely connected to when we’ll be able to enjoy the series.
But here’s when the controversy starts. According to some reports, the majority of the plot will cover the first The Last Of Us video game. However it’s not excluded to add content form the sequel, which was published last year.
There’s NO Working Around The Controversies?
If there will be adding content from The Last Of Us 2, I think it’s safe to talk about the controversy surrounding the sequel. After much delays, The Las Of Us 2 was released in June 2020. However, a lot of things went south for the sequel. First and foremost there’s addition of Lev. A transgender character really polarized both the critics. And the fans. Furthermore there was the critique on Abby’s muscular physique.
And of course the subsequent review bombing on Metacritic. Indeed. The user review score of 3.4/10 was a huge letdown for Naughty Dog. But the bombing occurred shortly after the game launched. Way too early for users to feasibly finish the game. There was huge controversy about the plot and the characterization, while some really blamed the studio for pandering. And forceful inclusion of LGBT characters for that matter. However, there’s still no word on whether or not Lev will be included in the TV show as well. I suppose time will tell, and we’ll just have to wait and see. Soon.
And What About Pedro Pascal?
Since Pedro has the lead role in the TV show, I suppose it’s only fair to write about him as well. Well, the Santiago born actor has TV career that spans more than 2 decades. And a bidding TV career that really took off in the last 5 years or so. He starred in The Great Wall alongside Matt Damon, and in 2017 was in Kingsman: The Golden Circle. Not to mention he was part of Blockbusters like The Equalizer 2 and Triple Frontier. Oh and ad movies like If Beale Street Could Talk. But just last year he played a baddie in Wonder Woman 1984. He took on the role of Maxwell Lord, and he really was a good addition of the movie. A rather disappointing movie, but he was great in it.
Narcos, Game Of Thrones, The Last Of Us
However, if you take a look at his TV career, you’ll notice that he’s (or was) in pretty much everything. Not just in The Mandalorian. A TV show that put him on the map. Law & Order, The Good Wife, Graceland and yes. Game Of Thrones. Who can forget the Oberyn Martell or the Red Viper of Dorne. Or his gruesome death for that matter. But if you’re fan of Pedro’s TV work you can’t miss Narcos. Javier Peña was a great character, and in so small because of his great talent. I just love Narcos and yes. I’ve written about it before as well. Check it out here.
Oh and since this is a video game blog, I think it’s also worth mentioning his voice role in 2016’s Dishonored 2. Yes, he tackled the role of Paolo and he was good at it. So, yeah, I have no doubt that Pedro will be excellent once again in The Last Of Us.
Will You Watch The Last Of Us?
What’s your opinion of the upcoming TV show? Are you a fan of the video game series? Let us know in the comment section. We’d love to know all about it.
