![]() Between rumors of a potential remake of the original The Last of Us for the PS5, and the incoming HBO live-action adaptation, fans are about to get a lot more of Joel Miller in their lives. Over the next few years, regardless of whether or not The Last of Us 3 actually becomes a reality, the series as a whole is set to grow even more. That leaves plenty of space for meaningful interactions between the two to have taken place that players are currently unaware of, that they could subsequently play through. While Ellie's own quest for happiness won't ever feature a physical reconciliation with her departed farther figure, there's nothing to stop Naughty Dog from allowing the player to physically play out her thought processes as she battles with her grief. From the time Joel and Ellie return to Jackson at the end of the original game, to the start of The Last of Us 2, around four years passed. It stands to reason that the same narrative tool could be brought back in the future. That's because the majority of interactions that the rest of the cast have with him come in the form of flashbacks sprinkled into the mix at points in the narrative where the added context helps establish a specific tone. However death had no impact on him still being a constant recurring part of that game's plot, not only as an unseen influence, but also as a physical one too. After the fateful opening sections of The Last of Us 2, Joel naturally ceases to be an option for the player to assume control of directly. ![]() After all, having been such a central figure in Ellie's life makes it seem likely that the studio will find a way to have the character reappear.įrom a thematic perspective, the studio has also already done a lot of the ground work that could facilitate this. Beyond ensuring further dissections of humanity at the edge of the apocalypse following the collapse of society, this news could prove to be an important hint that Joel will appear at some point down the road. In the same interview that confirmed that the creative minds at Naughty Dog have already penciled in an outline for a potential The Last of Us 3, it was also revealed that the same themes would define a sequel as well. ![]() Throughout each entry in the franchise, be it a game, DLC expansion, or a piece of tie-in media, Ellie has demonstrated countless times that she is the main protagonist of The Last of Us. Retiring her, especially with her story currently having no conclusion, also seems unlikely. In a lot of ways, Naughty Dog has cleverly tied the player and Ellie together through a set of shared experiences and feelings, which ensures that both parties in many ways need the same answers to the Joel-sized issue that's lingered over the franchise since The Last of Us 2. During the closing hours of the The Last of Us 2, for example, Ellie and Tommy were also shown to still be struggling to come to terms with the fact that they had lost such an important family member. Joel's subsequent absence in The Last of Us 3 will no doubt have a profound impact on the characters and universe of the series in general, as it's impossible to imagine Naughty Dog will be able to physically bring the character back. The pivotal role he played in the lives of Ellie, Tommy, and Abby, in the run up to his death, ensures that tackling the continued fallout of that fateful day will no doubt play a large role within the theoretical sequel's narrative.
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