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Being one of the finest live-action adaptations of a computer game series,The Last of Usis all set to return to the screens with its second season soon, bringing back with it all those chilly thriller post-apocalyptic vibes. Brought to life by co-creator Neil Druckmann, the series not only took over viewers’ hearts but also earned Pedro Pascal his first Emmy win.
That said, with such iconic performances and immaculate helming from the masterminds behind the project, the show was meant to spawn even more intriguing additions. But just how many stunning elements will this second season behold for fans? That’s a question many have been yearning to know the answer to for quite some time now since season 2 got greenlit.
So far, only minimal things are known about how the second season, which is expected to premiere by April this year, might be bigger and better than the first one. But of those things, here are seven important elements and arcs that Druckmann has already warned fans and viewers about to quench their curiosity a bit for season 2. Dig in!
7The Last of UsS2 picks up 5 years after the events of S1
While the first season ofThe Last of Ushad Joel (played byPedro Pascal) and Ellie (played byBella Ramsey) trekking across a post-apocalyptic, pandemic-scarred America and ended on an emotional note, the second season won’t be picking up right from there. Rather, it would pick up five years later, when they are settled in the Jackson, Wyoming commune run by Joel’s sister-in-law Maria (played by Rutina Wesley).
Per the details co-creator Neil Druckmann confessed toEntertainment Weekly, Ellie would finally be enjoying a normal life as a teenager, even developing a crush on Dina (played byIsabela Merced), a girl who happens to be the ex of her close friend, Jesse (played by Young Mazino). However, her relationship with Joel will still encompass quite the tension as he would be seen grappling with the actions he took to save Ellie in the season 1 finale.
6Abby will not have the same physique as in the game
The Last of Usseason 2 will also be debuting a new character, though the details are still left intentionally vague: Abby, played byKaitlyn Dever. As HBO pressers described her to Entertainment Weekly, the respective character is “a skilled soldier whose black-and-white view of the world is challenged as she seeks vengeance for those she loved.”
But as minimal details were spilled by the show creators about the same, there will still be a noticeable difference in Abby’s appearance in live-action as compared to the character in the game. While the one in the game is a towering, muscled woman, the Abby in live-action is expected to be closer in appearance to Ramsey’s Ellie.
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AsCraig Mazinshared, “I personally think that there is an amazing opportunity here to delve into someone who is perhaps physically more vulnerable than the Abby in the game, but whose spirit is stronger. And then the question is, ‘Where does her formidable nature come from and how does it manifest?’ That’s something that will be explored now and later.” So that’s that too.
5Each episode of S2 is described as a high-calorie meal
Those who are expecting to have the most immersive run with season 2 ofThe Last of Usmight as well already rejoice. This is because co-showrunner Craig Mazin has already confirmed to Entertainment Weekly that this upcoming season would bring episodes that are nothing short ofhigh-calorie mealsin themselves, enough to satiate viewers’ hunger for some worthwhile content.
“Each episode is like a meal. you’re able to have a light dinner or you can go to a 12-course French restaurant,” Mazin said. “We have seven episodes. They are high-calorie, dense episodes. If you consider action and drama and scope to be the things that create an epic nature, each one of these episodes packs quite a wallop. You will not be bored.”
So fans need to prepare for peek action and drama? Got it.
4Tommy and Maria now have a child?
Yet another disclosed detail is thatGabriel Luna‘s Tommy – i.e., Joel’s brother – will now have a child with his wife and Joel’s sister-in-law Maria, in whose commune they’ll be settled in five years since the events of season 1. So that’s another addition to the cast, though it remains to be seen how this would be affecting this forthcoming season.
3Deleted material fromThe Last of Us Part IIwill be included as well
Turns out, the deleted material fromThe Last of Us Part II, which was originally planned to be included in the game, will be making its way into the live-action series as well. This includes some stuff that was presented for the first time in the remastered edition ofPart IItoo. Of this, particular material is “pretty brutal, but I’m very excited for people to see it,” as Druckmann teased.
2A prominent character talked about a lot from the games will be featured in the show’s S2
Besides the deleted material, a rather prominent character will be making its way to the screens as well. While there’sCatherine O’Hara, who is reportedly all set to appear in a role not previously seen in the games, she isn’t the only new face fans will witness. As it turns out, the showrunners have planned a prominent character from the series to make their appearance as well.
However, this particular character has already been talked about a lot in the games. AsNeil Druckmannwent on to reveal, “There is a pretty prominent character that is talked a lot about in the game, similar to what we did with Frank (Murray Bartlett) in season 1, that is in this season. There’s a very, very cool casting that I hope we can talk about soon.” Fingers crossed, for sure.
1More deviations are expected to take place inThe Last of UsS2
Last, but barely the least, a lot more deviations are expected to take place in this upcoming season since a significant part of the theme of the second game in the game series is all about perspective. “A big part of the theme of the second game is about perspective, how someone’s hero could be someone else’s villain and vice versa. It’s weird to talk about a story where its structure could be a spoiler,” as Druckmann acknowledged.
At the same time, he also added, “I don’t even know if it’s worth mentioning where we landed because I think that’s part of the fun for people familiar with the game to see how we approached that challenge in the show. I will just say that we gave it a lot of thought and tried different things. There are some deviations of where we place things.” That said, fans might as well not expect the second season to be a true carbon copy of the game either.
Neil Druckmann Confirms What ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2 Will Skip From the Game: “Abby was meant to play more like Joel”
“We certainly are going to mess around with time the way it was in the source material, but as Neil said, we messed around in ways that we felt were appropriate for the show,” Mazin said. “When I say ‘messed around,’ I mean scientifically determined in a narrative way what we thought would be most impactful.”
But as many changes as they may have stumbled upon, their past performance testifies that fans don’t need to keep their expectations low for fear of getting hurt.
Will Pedro Pascal’s Joel die inThe Last of UsS2?
While all of these aforementioned details about what beholds fans inThe Last of Usseason 2 are one thing, one of the most asked questions about the same is whether Pedro Pascal’s Joel dies in the second season. This is because, as gaming fans must already be aware, the respective character dies in the second part at the hands of Abby in the mere opening minutes of the game.
However, it seems like the creators and showrunners might have planned something different for the character in live-action. On theHappy Sad Confusedpodcastwith Josh Horowitz, showrunner Craig Mazin candidly shed light on this very question while keeping tight-lipped on a clear answer. Here’s how their conversation went:
Horowitz:“So, major spoiler alert going into Season 2, game 2, we’re facing a lot of major events but none more so than the death of Joel, of course. Does that fit under the category of slavish interpretation or does that feel like something that you can diverge from?”Mazin:“I mean, I can’t tell you anything about that season. Joel dies? Okay. I’m not saying a goddamn thing. People will have to wonder. And you know what, good. Because here’s the thing. First of all, anytime you’re making… anytime you’re adapting something where there’s source material, there’s certainly an expectation that the adaptation will hit the main source material points and that is mostly what happens.”
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Adding to this, Mazin emphasized that when it comes to the fate of the characters, “no matter who they are, all I can say is, we will do what we want to do in a way that is best for the show that we’re making.” That said, since the show is “likely” to “extend past a season 3” as well, there are chances Joel might not be killed off so soon, being a prominent character of the saga.
He then mentioned how fans shouldn’t presume that they are going to do certain things that they might not while adding how they “know exactly what we’re doing.” So, for now, the show creators ‘can neither confirm nor deny anything’ on the matter simply because it would take away that surprise element from the show, so fans might as well just hope for the best.
The Last of Us Season 2is set to premiere in April 2025. Season 1 of the same can currently be streamed on Prime Video and Max.
Mahin Sultan
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2478
Mahin Sultan is a Senior Writer at FandomWire, where she brings a fresh perspective to entertainment news. Having been in the field for over 3 years now, she has already written more than 2,000 articles across a variety of niches, from entertainment to health and fashion. This diverse experience has allowed her to quickly build a solid foundation and a deep understanding of the industry.
