Pedro Pascal Cast as Joel Miller in HBO’s The Last of Us Series; Neil Druckmann Confirms

Deadline is reporting that The Mandalorian’s Pedro Pascal has been cast in the lead role of Joel Miller for HBO’s adaption of the PlayStation hit franchise, The Last of Us.

Rumors had been circulating earlier today that Moonlight’s Mahershala Ali had been circling the role of Joel, until Deadline confirmed that it had passed to Pascal. The Hollywood Reporter reported earlier today that Game of Thrones’ Bella Ramsey is set to star as Ellie. The HBO series is being written by Chernobyl’s Craig Mazin and director of The Last of Us game series, Neil Druckmann.

It is being reported that Pascal is likely to maintain his role in the hit Disney+ series, The Mandalorian, due to the limited need of his presence on set. Since his time on Game of Thrones, Pedro Pascal has gained a fervent following that has landed him roles in the aforementioned Star Wars series and most recently, Wonder Woman 1984.

The Last of Us follows a smuggler named Joel, 20 years after a deadly outbreak resulted in the loss of his daughter. Joel is tasked with the delivery of a teenage girl named Ellie to a militia group out west, whose blood may be the key to quelling the virus. The two become closer over their long journey, and Joel will be forced to come to terms with decisions that may alter the fate of humanity.

Neil Druckmann took to Twitter to formally welcome Pedro Pascal to the cast!

Looking for more The Last of Us news? The HBO series recently found its director, and Neil Druckmann details what licensed IP he would like a chance to work on!