Actor Troy Baker, who played Joel in The Last of Us and The Last of Us Part 2, has said they'd be eager to return for Part 3 if it were to happen.
In an interview with Comic Book (opens in new tab), Baker spoke about the possibility of there being a third The Last of Us game, revealing that they don't know whether another game is even on the cards at this point. "People always ask, 'Is there going to be a Last of Us Part 3?'", Baker explains. "I have no idea. No idea. I didn't know there was going to be a Part 2."
"But if Neil [Druckmann] has a story that he wants to tell, and he wants me to be a part of it in any way," Baker continues. "I am there, seven days a week and twice on Sunday. I absolutely would follow him." So at least we know Joel would be on board for Part 3 if it were to happen. Those who have played The Last of Us Part 2 will immediately see how Baker's return to the series may cause a bit of a problem though.
If you are yet to play The Last of Us 2, we suggest you skip over this paragraph to avoid spoilers. Joel goes through a lot in the sequel and eventually ends up being written out of the game - in a permanent way. This doesn't necessarily mean that Joel is unable to return in Part 3 though, as the character still appears throughout Part 2 just in the form of several flashbacks.
Baker isn't the only person with Part 3 on the brain recently. Just a few weeks ago, The Last of Us director and Naughty Dog co-president Neil Druckmann spoke about the possibility of another game in the post-apocalyptic series, revealing: "It’s up to us whether we want to continue it or not." This doesn't confirm another game is on the way, but it also doesn't rule out the possibility completely.
Last year, another The Last of Us actor expressed their desire to return for another game - this time Laura Bailey who played Abby in Part 2. Speaking last October, Bailey said: "I would 100% go back to play more Abby if the opportunity came up." Considering the end of The Last of Us Part 2 left Abby's story open-ended, there's always a chance Naughty Dog could expand the character's story if it does commit to developing The Last of Us Part 3.
While we wait for Naughty Dog to announce Part 3, take a look at our games like The Last of Us list.