The Last of Us: Joel’s story might not be over

Joel from The Last of Us might not be done! EVEN AFTER EVERYTHING!

Voice actor Troy Baker hinted that Joel’s story might not be as finished as it seems.
Of course, this doesn’t automatically mean that Joel is still alive or returning to the present timeline, but more that there’s a possibility we might see him again through flashbacks, additional scenes, or potentially new projects in that universe like spinoffs or something similar.

Something like this is already happening in the series itself!
In the HBO version of The Last of Us, Joel (Pedro Pascal) is already returning through flashbacks. Even though the key event from The Last of Us Part 2 happened, his story still impacts everything.
It’s the same deal with the game. The character isn’t physically there, but he still haunts the narrative.

This makes sense considering Joel is one of the most important characters in gaming history. His relationship with Ellie is the core of the entire fanbase, and flashbacks allow for additional character development and emotionally heavy scenes, as well as new perspectives on old events.

All of this doesn’t mean Joel is back to life, but it does mean he hasn’t disappeared from the story forever. We can expect more of his scenes in the series, or maybe even in future projects.

The Last of Us is an American post-apocalyptic drama television series created by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann for HBO. Based on the video game franchise developed by Naughty Dog, the series is set decades after the collapse of society caused by a mass fungal infection that transforms its hosts into zombie-like creatures. The first season, based on 2013's The Last of Us, follows Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) as they travel across the United States. In the second season, based on the first half of 2020's The Last of Us Part II, they have settled in Jackson, Wyoming, with Joel's brother Tommy (Gabriel Luna) and Ellie's friends Dina (Isabela Merced) and Jesse (Young Mazino). The group travels to Seattle to track down Abby (Kaitlyn Dever), who is set to be the focus of the third season.