Game of Thrones star Pedro Pascal is currently living the prime of his Hollywood career. From headlining numerous big projects to hosting Saturday Night Live, things are going quite simply incredible for him. Especially with the recent worldwide recognition he’s getting from his two recent projects, i.e., The Mandalorian and The Last of Us. And it is staggering in the vast difference both these roles require him to play, with his face covered in The Mandalorian, and the vivid depth of Joel on full display in The Last of Us.
And he does both stunningly, whether the mostly voice acting as Din Djarin or the vivid display of emotions on his bearing as Joel, he has undoubtedly made his mark known. However, a recent report about his salary in one of these projects has somehow left people wondering if they can even expect him to return for the next season if things persist like this.
Also Read: The Mandalorian vs The Last of Us – Which Show Pays Pedro Pascal More?
Disney’s Attempt at Giving Pedro Pascal a Voice Actor’s Salary
A recent report by Making Star Wars, an outlet famed for providing accurate BTS stories regarding the franchise, stated that Disney initially wanted to pay Pedro Pascal a voice actor’s salary for his lead role in The Mandalorian for his limited screen time in the series. Incidentally, his most prominent work in the series, in fact, comes from giving voiceovers for body doubles often giving life to the character.
As such, Disney initially planned to only pay for his work for the same, even with his name being credited as the headliner, aka, The Mandalorian. Reportedly, Pascal opposed this idea as he seemed to feel that this would not be enough to tie himself to the project. This seems fair enough, as for another of his headlining roles, Joel in the HBO post-apocalyptic series The Last of Us, he gets a staggering salary of $600k.
Well, it is true that he had to go through a lot more hoops to accurately portray Joel, since not only his face is uncovered and requires him to bring the full range of emotions such a character would be experiencing in a situation like that, but also requires heightened action sequences. Especially since The Last of Us is based on one of the most popular video games this world has ever experienced.
As a result, the expectations to give the character justice and make sure it does not completely bomb the ratings are laid solely on his shoulders. And if the hype is anything to go by, he did splendidly in not only The Last of Us, which turned out to be one of the most streamed series on HBO Max ever, but also in The Mandalorian, with just his impeccable voice acting to pull the character and the show through.
Will Pedro Pascal return for The Mandalorian’s next season?
With the recent report out, although not yet confirmed officially, the fans seem extremely divided in their stance on this. While some seem to think that a voice actor’s salary might have been fitting given the limited screen time, others claim that they never thought that Disney or Lucasfilm would be this cheap.
Some even expressed their worries on whether the Narcos star would actually even return for the next season of The Mandalorian if a stingy budget for his role still persists. Well, as no official announcements have yet been made on either the speculative report or a possible detour for his character in the series, it will be a matter of time before fans can witness the results for themselves. Specifically, as the finale of the third season is yet to be aired, something the creator claimed will give the fans, “a lot to think about.”
Now they’ll be lucky if he stays
— Louïse "Слуга Народу" Hitchcock (@ashlarblocks) April 15, 2023
On the other hand, The Last of Us is all set for a second season after massive audience and critical appraisal with Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey reprising their roles as Joel and Ellie, even with a time skip propelling the story several years ahead. Pascal seems to be doing quite well apart from these franchises as well.
Also Read: Pedro Pascal Wants The Last of Us Season 2 to Follow Source Material Even if it Means Joel’s Death
Especially with a screening of the short film Strange Way of Life by director Pedro Almodóvar, where he plays a former gunslinger, looking to rekindle an old friendship with a fellow former gunslinger played by Ethan Hawke, potentially of a romantic kind. So even with the question of whether he would return to play Din Djarin again up in the air, fans will have various opportunities to witness him in his full glory over the next few years.
All seasons of The Mandalorian are available for streaming on Disney+ while The Last of Us is on HBO Max.
Source: Comic Book Resources
