It didn’t take long for the live-action of The Last of Us starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey to become a hit amongst the fans. Not only did it win over the video game aficionados but it also roped in a lot of fresh fans who have never played the game before. On Rotten Tomatoes, season one stands at a high score of 96% meaning that the post-apocalyptic series was loved by both fans and critics.
Those who have played the video game in its entirety know what the future brings for Pedro Pascal’s Joel and though inevitable, it’s just heart-wrenching! Now, The Last of Us has been a spot-on adaptation, staying faithful to the video game most of the time. However, there is a little deviation in the HBO series regarding Joel’s age which will make the next season even more heartbreaking.
How Old is Pedro Pascal’s Joel in The Last of Us Season 2?
Back in the fourth episode of the first season, Pedro Pascal’s Joel revealed to Ellie, played by Bella Ramsey, that he was 56 years old. Since season 2 sees a jump of five years, Joel will be 61 years old by the time we get to see him on screen. This means that the series took the creative liberty of changing Joel’s age to 61 from the 57 mentioned in the video game.
Why does this matter? Well, the small change will have a huge impact on Joel’s character development and add layers to his personality. It’s not easy navigating your way through a post-apocalyptic world where things just don’t seem to be going in your favor. You need to be strong both physically and mentally.
While Joel’s age sure would’ve made him more mentally resilient, it also means that the character be vulnerable in terms of his aging body and will show signs of physical fragility. This small change will allow the series to shine on the inevitable facts of life: aging and mortality. You cannot stay young forever, can you?
Even though this change certainly adds more depth to the character, there is only one thing that does not seem right – Pascal’s look in season 2.
A few days ago, Max posted the first look of Pascal and Ramsey’s characters in season 2, and while they look ready to face whatever lies ahead of them, fans are not convinced that Pascal looks 61 in the photo. Here’s what they had to say about it all:
Pedro Pascal does NOT look 61 there 😭
— GameRoll (@GameRollGTA) May 21, 2024
The best looking 61 year old ive ever seen 😳
— RJ (@RealHumanBean88) May 21, 2024
He’s supposed to be 61 there? 🤣
— D (@dgh957) May 21, 2024
I mean Joel don't look 61 in the game but he jus got gray hair so jus give pedro alot of gray hair
— AS Gun Shot Eazy⁹⁹⁹( Carry It) (@ASGunShot) May 21, 2024
And yet he looks 40😑
— Brit☮️🟧 (@nikkibluvs) May 21, 2024
Only time will tell if Joel’s age even comes into play in the storyline or not. Regardless, the one thing we are sure of is that season 2 is going to take our hearts and rip them into tiny, tiny little pieces. Can’t wait!
Pedro Pascal Opened Up About Going Back to Joel
At the recent SAG Awards, Pascal was awarded the Male Actor in a Drama Series trophy which marked his very first major recognition in the industry. When he stepped onto the stage to accept the award he revealed that he had been a “little drunk.”
Backstage, Pascal got real with Deadline about working with his team on The Last of Us season 2 and stated,
Filming is going amazing. It’s sort of awe-inspiring the kind of focus and dedication that everyone has going into Season 2.
He went on to add just how incredible it was reuniting with the cast and crew of the series and applauded them for working harder than ever. Pascal even credited his SAG win to them.
It’s incredible to be back home with them and creatively and everybody, our entire crew, they’re working harder than I could even imagine, even harder than our first season which is close to impossible. It’s pretty inspiring and unbelievable and this is because of them.
As for what he was feeling stepping back into the game as Joel, Pascal stated,
Stepping into those boots again, it feels strangely brand new. I’ve never done anything like this before that has such original authorship before I ever got to it.
Clearly, Pascal has a lot of love and respect for both his colleagues and his character. We cannot wait to see the magic he creates in season 2, even though we are quite aware of the grim future that awaits us.
The Last of Us season 2 will be released sometime in 2025. Meanwhile, you can stream the first season on Max.
