The original Joel throws support behind Pedro Pascal’s casting in The Last of Us HBO series

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Writer Neil Druckmann also voices support for the pair

The Last of Us 2
(Image credit: Naughty Dog)

Troy Baker, the actor behind Joel in Naughty Dog's The Last of Us, has given his seal of approval to Pedro Pascal, who was just cast in the same role in the HBO adaptation.

You can see the Instagram post from Baker below, in which the actor throws his full support behind Pascal taking on the role. It was recently announced that Pascal had been cast in the role of Joel, finally ending months of speculation as to who would take on the leading role.

Baker also spoke up in support of Bella Ramsay's casting, who was revealed to be portraying Ellie in the HBO adaptation of The Last of Us. Ramsay, who you might recognize as the young Lady Mormont from the final few seasons of Game of Thrones, was revealed to be taking on the role of Ellie shortly before Pascal's casting was announced. The two will be making their way through a post-apocalyptic America together for The Last of Us HBO series.

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Baker wasn't the only creative involved with the original game to speak up in support of the casting news. Naughty Dog creative lead Neil Druckmann also voiced support for both Pascal and Ramsay's casting in the show, but while Baker has no involvement with the HBO adaptation, Druckmann is actually helping pen the script and flesh out the story of the adaptation with Chernobyl showrunner Craig Mazin.

With the casting of the two leads finally revealed, we're beginning to get a clearer picture of HBO's adaptation of Naughty Dog's game. Pascal and Ramsay will take up the two leading roles, while Druckmann and Mazin will team up to adapt the original subject material for the small screen. 

Additionally, Russian filmmaker Kantemir Balagov will step in to direct the pilot, after former Chernobyl director and Mazin collaborator Johan Renck stepped away from the project late last year due to scheduling issues.

We also know that Mazin and Druckmann will "expand" upon the story told in the 2013 game. The pair have previously spoken about wanting to retell the story depicted in the original game, while also enabling an "enhancing of the storyline" through some new material, an aspect of which apparently made Mazin's jaw drop when Druckmann proposed a certain idea.

For something to watch in the meantime, check out the best Netflix shows and best shows on Amazon Prime right now.

Hirun Cryer
Hirun Cryer
Freelance Writer

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.