Pedro Pascal hints The Last of Us Season 2 may deviate from major character death

Kayla Harrington
Pedro Pascal as Joel in The Last of Us HBO series

The Last of Us star Pedro Pascal has hinted that the show’s upcoming season may stray away from a major character death from The Last of Us: Part 2.

One of the most highly anticipated TV seasons is undoubtedly The Last of Us Season 2, the follow up to HBO’s hit series.

Starring Pedro Pascal as Joel and Bella Ramsey as Ellie, the show is an adaptation based on the video game created by Neil Druckmann which sees the world living in the aftermath of a mass fungal infection which causes its host to transform into zombie-like creatures that murder everything in its path.

Fans have been eagerly awaiting the second season of the show, which is set to tell the story of the second game, as it has one of the most impactful character deaths in the franchise, but Pascal has recently revealed that the show may depart from the source material when it comes to that death. Warning: slight spoilers ahead!

Pascal hints The Last of Us Season 2 death may be delayed

Deadline recently caught up with the actor as he attended the Sundance Film Festival and asked if Joel’s storyline will be changed in Season 2.

In The Last of Us Part 2, Joel was savagely murdered by Abbie (Kaitlyn Dever), the daughter of the surgeon he gunned down while rescuing Ellie in the first game. The player then plays as both Ellie and Abbie as both women go on their quests to seek revenge for their fathers.

Pascal went on to explain, “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.”

Pascal isn’t the first person from the project to talk about Season 2’s deviation from the source material as co-showrunner Craig Mazin told Esquire, “This should be fairly obvious to anyone by now, but I don’t fear killing characters. But the important thing to note is that neither Neil [Druckmann, who co-created and exec-produces the series with Mazin] nor I feel constrained by the source material.”

“I’m never gonna say there are things that are gonna happen in the show that happened in the game. You never know what we’re gonna do,” Mazin continued, “But I will say that it is the adventure, the journey is the point. 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.”