The unbelievable concerns surrounding Pedro Pascal’s The Last of Us casting.

Despite the acclaim he received for his performances in The Last of Us, Pedro Pascal faced criticism upon landing the part for what can only be described as an utterly ridiculous reason. Based on Naughty Dog’s game of the same name, the live-action adaptation raised high expectations from fans. However, fans grew skeptical, when the studio announced the lead cast of the show.

The Last of Us | Credit: Max
Showrunner, Craig Mazin, later revealed that the initial reception to the lead cast was largely negative, with many criticizing Pascal’s ability to grow a beard to effectively portray Joel in the series adaptation.

Fans Were Skeptical of Pedro Pascal’s Beard For The Last of Us

While The Last of Us garnered widespread acclaim on its release and has since been deemed one of the best video game adaptations, showrunner Craig Mazin revealed that fans of the original game series were critical of Pedro Pascal’s casting as Joel.

Joel in The Last of Us game | Credit: Sony Interactive Entertainment
And one of the significant points of contention was his ability to grow a beard to accurately embody his character in the series. “That’s a serious deal-breaker for them,” he said, underscoring the level of commitment fans expected from the series adaptation.

“They’re like, ‘Oh my God, he can’t even have the same beard as Joel in the game,’” he further told The Hollywood Reporter. The skepticism surrounding his casting even led the actor himself to question whether he could meet people’s expectations.
Pedro Pascal as Joel | Credit: HBO
“Long hours, rough material, and we were both scared about meeting people’s expectations,” he said, sharing his and co-star Bella Ramsey’s apprehension. However, despite skepticism, the show and its cast have earned widespread acclaim for their performances, earning five Emmy nominations.

The Last of Us Showrunners Plan Multiple Seasons to Fully Explore Story

Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey are set to return as Joel and Ellie in Season 2 of the post-apocalyptic drama, which is expected to be released in 2025. Showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann have recently revealed plans to extend the show to a third season, aiming to fully delve into the narrative.

The co-creators discussed the show’s future in a recent interview with Deadline, revealing that the number of episodes in Season 2 has been reduced to seven. They also hinted at the potential for broader storytelling as it would be hard to conclude the narrative within the confines of Season 2.
The Last of Us | Credit: HBO

The story material that we got from Part II of the game is way more than the story material that was in the first game, so part of what we had to do from the start was figure out how to tell that story across seasons.

The showrunners also shared that the potential Season 3 could be significantly larger and could also lead to an additional season, saying, “I don’t see how we could tell the story that remains after Season 2 is complete in one more season.”

However, the series has only been officially renewed for two seasons so far and the fate of future seasons will largely depend on audience reception and viewership.