While the arrival of The Last of Us season 2 draws nearer, Mazin opened up to Variety about what comes next for him and his involvement in the franchise. Though the showrunner once more declared his love for the series as a fan, he stated that he expects he would move on from working on it within the world once the second game was fully adapted, even if game creator and show co-creator/co-showrunner Neil Druckmann created a third game. Check out Mazin's full explanation below:
As far as additional source material, as a fan of The Last of Us, if Neil has more games, I would love it. For me, as a writer and showrunner, this is my Last of Us. So this will be the last of my Last of Us, covering the events of the first and second game. I think there’s always a world where you could see additional material, like the way House of the Dragon has thrived after the conclusion of Game of Thrones. And I could certainly see myself being somebody that the people making that show, they pick up the phone and call me and say, "How did you do this? Or what do you think about this?" But it won’t be mine to do. Somebody else will be handling that.
What Mazin's Response Means For The Future Of The Last Of Us
The Series Has Covered Most Of The Franchise's Available Source Material
Though the showrunner may have stated that his time with The Last of Us franchise will come to an end after adapting the second game, that doesn't mean that Mazin will exit after season 2. No details about how season 2 will end have been publicly revealed, but both Mazin and Neil Druckmann have stated that the upcoming batch of episodes will only capture part of the game's story, with a handful of additional story expansions being spread through the seasons. As such, it is clear Mazin won't be leaving the crew anytime soon.
However, once the television series has adapted the events of the second game, its future is far less easy to determine. Even after expanding into additional media, including comics, the story has never strayed from Ellie's journey, and even Druckmann himself has stated that viewers and gamers shouldn't get their hopes up beyond season 2, as he, newcomer Tati Gabrielle, a selection of recognizable stars and the developers at Naughty Dog turn their attention to working on Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.
Our Thoughts On Mazin's The Last of Us Exit
Despite Its Potentially Short Run, The Series Will Have Had An Incredible Impact
With The Last of Us giving HBO its second-largest debut since 2010 and the overall season holding the title of the network's most-watched debut season, network executives see the series as an incredible asset. However, with both Mazin and Druckmann casting doubt on the series' future beyond the events of the second game, it is likely that the show may conclude its run within the next few years, especially as Naughty Dog turns their attention to the stars. However, with season 1 having reimagined cut concepts, it is possible that other reused ideas could extend the series further.
