Last week, Naughty Dog's Niel Druckmann revealed he would be teaming up with Chernobyl creator Craig Mazin to work on a live-action television adaptation of The Last of Us, the critically-acclaim PlayStation game that first released back in 2013. The series is currently in production and will be exclusive to HBO, the same network behind the likes of Game of Thrones, Watchmen, and Big Little Lies, and replace the previously announced The Last of Us film which is no longer in production.
Of course, following the announcement of the live-action TV series, fans immediately began speculating on who should play Joel and Ellie in The Last of Us TV show? In the original PS4 game, as well as its soon to be released sequel The Last of Us Part 2, Joel and Ellie are voiced by Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson respectively, leaving some pretty big shoes to fill for anyone stepping into the roles. And we've got a few ideas of our own, starting with who should play Joel in HBO's The Last of Us TV series.
Hugh Jackman
Easily one the most requested actors to fill the role of Joel so far, Australia's Hugh Jackman is as close to a perfect casting as there is. Jackman is best known for his seventeen-year career playing the Marvel Comics superhero, Wolverine, in 20th Century Fox' X-Men franchise, spanning nine films which began with X-Men in 2000 and ended with Logan in 2017. Between his performance in the 2013 thriller Prisoners and his final outing as Wolverine in Logan, Jackman has shown that he's more than capable of not only embodying the character of Joel as we know it but bringing new layers of depth that could transcend The Last of Us video game.
Sterling K. Brown
From Woody Harrelson to Mahershala Ali, HBO has proven with series' like True Detective that the network is capable of pulling big Hollywood names when the project is strong enough. One actor that's not only at the top of his game right now but has a great track record for variety in projects is Sterling K. Brown. Best known as family man Randall Park on the NBC drama series This Is Us, Brown can be seen in The People v. O.J. Simpson, as the villain in Shane Black's The Predator, and as a voice in Frozen 2. He's funny, charismatic, and embodies every role he plays in a manner that's hard to come by. Brown is one of the most talented actors in all of Hollywood right now, and given the chance, he could transform the role of Joel into something no one could've expected, something more.
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau
Within hours of The Last of Us TV show being officially announced, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau's picture was all over social media as fans immediately took to the idea that the perfect casting for Joel had been found. Best known for the HBO fantasy series Game of Thrones, Coster-Waldau portrayed the role of Jaime Lannister, a knight of the Kingsguard and a member of antagonistic House Lannister. It goes without saying that Coster-Waldau's performance on Game of Thrones alone was enough to land him a spot on this list, yet it was his range that really shined throughout, developing a character over time from being an outright villain to one that is complex and sympathetic fan-favorite.
Dylan McDermott
Tall, dark, handsome, and brooding - Dylan McDermott has proven himself time and time again as a brilliant drama actor and a more than suitable fit for the role of Joel. Best known for his time in television, McDermott has played leading roles in a range of drama television series from The Practice to the crime drama Dark Blue, CBS series including Hostages and Stalker, and most notably, for playing a leading role in the first season of American Horror Story, as well as appearances in subsequent seasons. There's a certain edge to McDermott that lends itself naturally to a character like Joel, someone that's tough, but also someone that's broken.
John Krasinski
Between leading roles in the NBC sitcom The Office, Amazon Prime's Jack Ryan, and the horror film A Quiet Place (also directed by the star), the level of range coming from John Krasinski appears to be near-endless. As seen above, Krasinski certainly already has the right look for Joel and he's around the right age. However, it's his charisma and charm that have placed him so high on the list as well as many fans wish-lists for Marvel Studio's upcoming Fantastic Four reboot. Sure, Joel isn't known for witty remarks or charming woman but he does have a nurturing and protective side that can be difficult to get right. Given a few grey hairs to his beard and a method-actor level focus on Joel's tough, more serious nature, Krasinski could just be exactly what fans are after.
HBO is yet to make any official announcements regarding The Last of Us TV shows cast, production schedule, or release window, and writer/producer Neil Druckmann has already confirmed that completing development on The Last of Us 2 ahead of it's May release date takes first priority. In the meantime, fans can look forward to the upcoming Uncharted movie, another Naughty Dog property which is due make its live-action debut next May starring Tom Holland, with filming set to begin before the end of the month.
The Last of Us Part 2 will release on Playstation 4 on May 29, 2020.