ScreenRant was in attendance at The Last of Us season 2 finale press conference, where a moderator asked if there will be more flashbacks involving Joel. When asked about the potential 20-year gap from the series premiere getting explored, Druckmann denied any immediate plans, including for Joel's general return. However, he and Mazin were both open to the possibility of the former protagonist's return, even if there aren't any particular plans at the moment. Check out what Druckmann and Mazin had to say below:
Moderator: We'll stay with Joel for a minute here, we're going to obviously get back to Abby shortly. Tiempo X asks, there's a large part of Joel's life that has been left a mystery, especially the events that led to people fearing him, which occurred between Sarah's death and when he meets Ellie. Will we ever have a season or show that explores what happened?
Craig Mazin: Bin off! [LAUGHS]
Moderator: Who says no? [LAUGHS]
Craig Mazin: I know Neil recently [LAUGHS]… he’s not in next week.
Neil Druckmann: I think it’s… It’s always good to leave some things a mystery, to let the audience use their imagination to fill in the blanks. Obviously, every once in a while, we tap into those mysteries when they're important for the story we're telling
here. So, I guess, never say never. I mean...
Craig Mazin: I mean, we- we definitely went pretty far down the road of at least showing a moment from that time period. So, I think Neil's right, we'd never say never. And this season was tricky because it was so driven by this traumatic event: Joel dies. And once Joel dies, it is so big and impactful that you don't have quite as much room to sort of wander down some side streets, you really need to stick to what happens as a result of that, as well as what happened leading up to it. But I think next season, we probably will have a bit more flexibility. And you know, we love- we love a side trip to Indonesia, it's one of our favourite things to do, so maybe- maybe a side trip to, you know, Joel and Tommy terrorizing the countryside, we'll never know.
Neil Druckmann: Look, I wouldn’t have guessed we would have a short story about Joel’s dad before we wrote the season, so there you go. You can’t predict these things.
What Joel Not Coming Back Means For The Last Of Us
His Story With Ellie Has Already Come To A Close
Despite having such a strong presence, The Last of Us season 2 ended by emphasizing that him being in the show is no longer necessary for the story to continue. Ellie's (Bella Ramsey) quest for revenge is still motivated by his death, something that was made more understandable because of the flashbacks from season 2, episode 6. However, most of the major flashbacks have already been adapted, meaning the show doesn't have any reason to continue using Joel. This explains why the showrunners have no immediate plans to bring him back.
The series' focus is also changing soon, with The Last of Us season 3 confirmed to be focusing on Abby and what she was doing in Seattle while Ellie was there. This promises more scenes pulled from the video game, this time focusing on the new antagonist, offering very little reason for Joel to return in a flashback scene. However, Druckmann and Mazin are still open to the possibility, including original scenes, given the development of one where Joel is young and speaking to his father, Javier (Tony Dalton).
Our Take On Whether Joel Will Return In The Last Of Us
Season 2 Offered Fitting Bookends For His Character
Season 2, episode 6's flashbacks offered one last look at Joel and Ellie's relationship before the core events of the show. Their final scene on the porch together helped emphasize the importance of her journey, but also gave Pascal's character the final farewell he deserved. While The Last of Us could bring him back for more flashbacks in the future, the lack of immediate plans makes sense, given just how final his latest scenes were.
