The whispers of "what could have been" often waft like tantalizing wisps of alternate realities. An intriguing talk comes from The Last of Us, one of HBO's biggest hits in years, with the revelation that the Oscar-winning actor, Matthew McConaughey was in talks to portray the show's grizzled lead, Joel. But, alas, the wheel of fate spun differently, landing us in a world where Pedro Pascal rightfully embodies the essence of the iconic character.
It's easy to forget that Pedro Pascal's casting wasn't as "sure" of a thing, at least, in the eyes of audiences. In the lead-up to the casting confirmation, word on the grapevine was that Mahershala Ali and Matthew McConaughey were both considered for the role.
One of the showrunners, Craig Mazin, shed some light on the tantalizing possibilities on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, where he unraveled the narrative of the show's casting saga.
The surprising revelation came to light as Mazin reminisced about the casting process from so long ago. "I actually never talked to Mahershala. I did talk to Matthew," he confessed, adding, "I wouldn't say that it was serious, it was more of just like, 'Hey, here's something we can talk about.'" The coveted role was always destined for Pascal, who was initially out of reach due to prior commitments. However, fortune smiled upon the series as the tides turned, and the possibility of Pascal becoming Joel became more real.