As I’m sure you have all heard by now,The Mandalorianstar Pedro Pascal andGame of Thronesactor Bella Ramsey are set to become Joel and Ellie in HBO’sThe Last of Us. Since we first heard that the highly acclaimed game by Naughty Dog would be adapted to TV, fans around the world have been trying to guess who would star as the dynamic duo. Some people wanted to seeGame of Thronesactor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, among other actors also, who plays Jamie Lannister in the hit fantasy drama but now that we know it’s Pedro Pascal, are fans disappointed in the casting? It seems some might be according to social media.
Before we get into some of the reactions, I think Pedro Pascal will do an amazing job at portraying Joel but is he my first choice? the short answer is no, not really. Like many other hard-coreLast of Usfans, I too wanted to see Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as the burly and serious Joel. Not only because he looks akin toThe Last of Uscharacter, which truly isn’t that important, but I felt like they shared similar personas and gruffness to allow for an immersive viewing experience. I also believe that therumor surrounding Mahershala Aliinitially being offered the role would have made for some incredible acting - you just have to look at how amazing he is inTrue Detectiveto see why. But, unfortunately, it wasn’t to be.
Check out below some reactions on social media surrounding Pedro Pascal being cast as Joel instead of Nikolaj Coster-Waldau.
We even saw an incredible trailer over on YouTube bySmasherthat showcased how Nikolaj Coster-Waldau would look like as Joel in aThe Last of Usseries concept video. There’s no doubt about it that he certainly fits the bill. If you haven’t seen it yet, take a watch below.
Overall though, many people are very happy with the choice made to cast Pedro Pascal as Joel and I can see why given the incredible performances he has done to date. (Spoiler ahead forGame of ThronesandThe Last of Us Part 2) I do hope that Pascal doesn’t meet the same gruesome end that Joel did inPart 2or how his character fromGame of Thrones, Oberyn Martell, also was met with the same head injury that caused his death as that would be one pretty big coincidence!
As of now, no release date for the series has been set. We could, however, see the long-awaited HBO show crop up at the end of this year or early next year. Either way, it will certainly be one to watch out for and I personally can’t wait.
