Craig Mazin Addresses Killing Off Pedro Pascal In The Last…

Summary

Fans' intense reactions to Joel's death in The Last of Us Season 2 were unexpected due to it being faithful to the game.
Many were devastated by Joel's death, particularly as it was more intense in the TV series than in the original game.
Despite the complaints, the creators felt Joel's early death in Season 2 was necessary for the plot, and fans already knew it would happen.

The Last of Us Season 2 left many devastated after killing one of the beloved characters. Although it was expected, many were still heartbroken, and Craig Mazin, the series co-creator, finally broke his silence about the complaints they received from fans.

The Last of Us is a TV series and a live-action adaptation of Naughty Dog's acclaimed video game series of the same name. The first season was well-received, and Season 2, which premiered in April 2025, was as successful. The second season delves deeper into Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie's (Bella Ramsey) relationship. One was destined to die, and fans knew about it, especially those who played the game. However, many were unprepared to witness the death and have kept bugging the creators about it. Mazin finally addressed the "big complaint" they received from fans.

‘Worse Than The Game’ The Last Of Us Fans Feel [SPOILER] Is More Painful In Live-Action

The Last of Us fans react to the heartbreaking scene in Season 2’s second episode, saying it was worse than the original version from the game.

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By Catherine Armecin Martin

Pascal's Joel dies at the hands of Abby in The Last of Us 2, the second video game in the series. Obviously, those in the know figured he would face the same fate in the second season of the show. However, since the series is set to return for a third season, many hoped his death would be delayed. However, to their surprise, Joel died in the second episode of Season 2, "Through the Valley." Fans haven't gotten over the death, even if it was expected to happen. The Last of Us creators Neil Druckmann and Mazin recently spoke with Variety about the second season. Druckmann acknowledged the "very strong reactions" to Joel's death. Meanwhile, Mazin said he thought it was "great" before sharing the common protest they heard from fans. Mazin said:

The big complaint that I've gotten is, 'Why did you kill Pedro Pascal?' And I keep explaining, 'We didn't kill him! He's a man, he's alive. He's fine. And he's in literally everything else.' So I don't know what the problem is!

Craig Mazin Isn't Afraid To Get A Little Cheeky With Fans Complaining About Joel's Death In The Last Of Us

Mazin seems happy to play with fans a bit, teasing that they did not actually kill Pedro Pascal. Pascal is set to star in The Fantastic Four: First Steps in a few weeks. If fans are missing Pascal, they can see him all over the place. When Joel was killed off, many felt that the live-action adaptation made it worse than in the game because Abby (Kaitlyn Dever) seemingly tortured Joel in front of Ellie. Druckman previously explained that they decided to feature Joel's death early in Season 2 because delaying it felt like they were dragging their feet. Mazin added that pushing it back would only "torment" fans who knew it would happen. Also, even if they did not want to do it, it was doomed to happen. Druckmann also said it was necessary for the plot.

Fans' intense reactions to Joel's death in The Last of Us Season 2 are somewhat unexpected because his fate is already laid out in the game, which is the source of the TV series' plot. However, fans were so invested in Pascal's character that many hoped the show would not follow the video game. Unfortunately, it has to remain faithful to the source material, as there simply is no story for the show if Joel isn't taken out. Fans will get over it eventually... Right?

The Last of Us streams on Max.