Mahershala Ali will not be playing Joel; 'The Last of Us' creator shuts down rumours

The Last Of Us on HBO has confirmed that two-time Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali will not be portraying Joel in the television series. The series based on the game The Last Of Us was rumoured to have offered the role to the actor, according to The Illuminerdi. The character Joel is one of the lead characters of the series and will be headlined by Pedro Pascal from The Mandalorian.  

The plot of The Last Of Us focuses on a place twenty years after a destroyed modern civilization. The lead role Joel is hired to smuggle 14-year-old Ellie out of a quarantine zone. Both characters must face brutal adventures while they travel across America to safety. Mahershala Ali has already played an intense role in Season 3 of HBO's True Detective. 

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The Last Of Us Cast

Game Of Thrones fame Bella Ramsey will be portraying Ellie in the series. Chilean-American actor Pedro Pascal, short for José Pedro Balmaceda Pascal, will be playing Joel, according to Deadline. Neil Druckmann, writer and creative director of the game and co-creator of the series confirmed the news on his Twitter account. 

Fans couldn't hold in their excitement at the announcement of the news. Druckmann's tweet's comment section was filled with fans sharing their disbelief. Some even left hilarious responses and gifs in the comment section. 

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Belle Ramsey has played the role of  Lyanna Mormont in HBO's Game Of Thrones, while Pedro Pascal has played a variety of roles including the antagonist of Wonder Woman 1984, Maxwell Lord. The development of The Last Of Us series with HBO was announced back in March 2020 and the formal order of the series was announced in November 2020. The show's release date is yet to be disclosed.

 The Last Of Us Game

Naughty Dog's flagship game The Last Of Us was released in 2013. Over these eight years, the game has developed a huge fanbase. Comparatively, the sequel of the game did not receive the same reaction as the original game. The scenario of the game is set in a post-apocalyptic period of 2033, following the aftermath of a pandemic that took over 60% of the population.

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