The first season of HBO's The Last of Us has been a massive hit on the streaming platform. This is largely due to Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey's portrayal of Joel and Ellie, however fans who have played the second game know that the former's character only sticks around for so long.
Fans have been concerned about Joel's fate in Season 2 of The Last of Us. The upcoming season follows the story of The Last of Us Part 2 in which Joel dies at the hands of Abby - rather gruesomely, at that.
Pascal hasn't tried playing the game but is aware of Joel's fate in the second game. The actor claims that he is unsure of the showrunner's plans for his character. "It wouldn't make sense to follow the first game so faithfully only to stray severely from the path," Pascal said in an interview with Esquire. "So, yeah, that's my honest answer."
Co-star Bella Ramsey also weighed in on Joel's fate, saying, "If that does take place in the show, I don't know that I'm emotionally ready for it." Craig Mazin, who co-writes and executive produces HBO's The Last of Us with Naughty Dog co-president Neil Druckmann, suggests that they are exploring all options with regard to Joel's fate in the second season.