The Last of Us showrunner hints Joel’s fate might not match the game

Co-creator of HBO’s The Last of Us series has dropped some cryptic hints that might mean Joel’s fate in Season 2 might not line up with the video game series.

HBO’s The Last of Us series has been a smash hit for both the television network, with the show breaking viewership records ahead of the Season 1 finale.

With Season 1 of the show finally concluded, the excitement for Season 2 has been building, with members of the cast and crew dropping hints and teasers of what fans can expect in the future.

Now, The Last of Us’ showrunner Craig Mazin has hinted that Joel’s fate in Season 2 of the HBO series could differ drastically from his fate in The Last of Us: Part 2 on PlayStation.

The Last of Us’ Joel may have a different fate in the HBO series

Warning: this article will contain spoilers for The Last of Us: Part 2.

In an interview with Esquire, the subject of Joel’s fate in the video game series came up. As fans of the series know, Joel is brutally killed in the early hours of the game by Abby, who is a new character introduced in Part 2.

Naturally, the cast of the HBO series are also aware of this fact, and Mazin has clearly stated that it’s a distinct possibility Joel may not survive Season 2. “This should be fairly obvious to anyone by now, but I don’t fear killing characters.”

Well this statement may seem fairly definitive, Mazin followed up with: “But the important thing to note is that neither Neil [Druckmann, creator director of TLOU video game] nor I feel constrained by the source material.”

This is evident throughout the first season of the series, as there were many elements that differed from the video game across all 9 episodes.

While it could still be true that Joel may not make it to the end of Season 2, Mazin has certainly planted the seed that fans may get more of the gruff apocalypse survivor in the next season than previously expected.