Simply put, The Last of Us is a modern masterpiece. It’s received countless ‘Game of the Year’ awards, sold over 20 million copies since release, and helped revolutionize storytelling in video games, clearing the way for successors like God of War and Death Stranding. So when it was announced that HBO was working on a TV adaptation of this beloved classic with the original game’s creative director Neil Druckmann and Chernobyl showrunner Craig Mazin, fans were overjoyed, but a little bit nervous. After all, in the past, video game adaptations have been more miss than hit, and it’s easy to imagine all the ways the TV series could go wrong.
Indeed, since being announced back in March, not much has been revealed about this adaptation, only that it would possibly look into the second game as well, and it would offer a more “enhanced” version of the story, whatever that means. This dearth of detail has meant that eager fans everywhere have offered their own ideas to fill this void, most notably on casting. Time to examine the top choices for each role, how likely they are, and if there are any wild card options that may fit the bill.
Whoever is playing Joel has massive shoes to fill. The Armageddon-hardened, emotionally damaged protagonist is the heart and soul of the original game, balancing his commitment to survive with his deeply repressed trauma. To pull off Joel, the actor needs to emit that action-hero strength, but also have a softer-side tucked away.
For fans, two main options have been put forward: Thanos/Cable himself, Josh Brolin, and Jaime Lannister, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau. Both men have serious acting chops, as well as the action experience to helm this adaptation, making them strong contenders for the part. That said, Brolin may be slightly too expensive for the show (he hasn’t been in a TV show in over 10 years), making Coster-Waldau the more likely choice. However, Clive Owen has also been suggested as an option. Owen has previously starred in Children of Men which has some noticeable parallels to The Last of Us (an emotionally-damaged man transports a special youth across a dystopian country, dodging paramilitary factions as he goes). Perhaps the showrunners will like this similarity, and opt for Owen?
A natural foil to Joel, Ellie will be a difficult role to fill, if only because Ellen Page isn’t an option (seriously, they look so alike! If only Page was 10 years younger.). Rash and impulsive, yet also innocent and optimistic, Ellie is everything Joel isn’t, so casting a young actress who can embody these disparate traits is essential for their relationship to succeed.
A few top choices have already emerged, with the front runner being up-and-comer Kaitlyn Dever. Exploding onto the scene with critical hits like Booksmart, Unbelievable, and Them That Follow, Dever is a strong talent and has the innocence that many want from Ellie, despite never having an action role before. Another popular choice is Elsie Fisher, who charmed audiences with her performance in Eighth Grade. However, also like Dever, she’s never had an action role, throwing doubt at her casting. A rogue idea that’s been circulating for Ellie has been Halle Lynn Bailey, Disney’s upcoming Ariel from their live-action The Little Mermaid. A bona fide pop star and polished performer, Bailey has been solely suggested for Ellie’s love of playing music, so maybe not the most realistic choice, but there have certainly been worse ideas!
Paranoid, quick to anger, and shlubby, Bill is a memorable character from the original game that fans have high hopes for in terms of casting. Although he’s not around for long, his influence on the plot is undeniable, so many are expecting a big name to fill these (large) boots.
The leading two choices for Bill so far have been Jeff Daniels and Joel Edgerton, two fantastic actors who have plenty of experience playing paranoid, unpleasant characters. Edgerton especially looks like a popular choice, having played the utterly dislikeable Tom Buchanan in The Great Gatsby and Victor Sykes in Boy Erased. However, a hilarious third option could be Nick Offerman. Bill reminded many a player of a less-likeable Ron Swanson (paranoid, practical, and obstinate, just like Ron), so having Offerman play this role would be excellent casting.
Like Bill, Tess isn’t around for long in the game, but she sure does make a splash: her selfless sacrifice is not only moving but reminds players that the stakes in The Last of Us are very real. An actor playing Tess needs the kind of gravitas to sell that scene, so fans have been suggesting some big names.
One such name is Carrie Ann Moss, who many may recognize as Trinity from The Matrix. Moss captures Tess’ pragmatic attitude to a T, radiating the no-nonsense edge that fans love about the character. Another popular choice is Keri Russell, with fans drawing a parallel between Tess and Russell’s character in The Americans, who is equally pragmatic. A fun third idea that’s been gaining steam has been Annie Wersching, the actor who originally voiced Tess in the game. She already knows the character inside and out and even looks a bit like her, so fans think it may be a nice nod to the original game to cast Wersching a second time.
Out of all the characters, Marlene is probably the hardest to cast. Surrogate mother to Ellie, passionate leader of the Fireflies, and arguable final antagonist of the game, Marlene is a multi-faceted figure, who embodies the moral ambiguity at the game’s core. Equally, then, the actor filling this role has to be tasked with balancing these opposing aspects, delivering a performance that motivates the action – they need to be a bad-ass.
Fittingly then, fans have suggested some bad-ass options. A leading choice seems to be Zoe Saldana, who’s turn as Gamora in the MCU will leave no one questioning if she could pull off the part. Adept at both action films and critical dramas, Saldana seems like an obvious choice. Another popular option is Kerry Washington, award-winning star of the ABC series Scandal. In the show, Washington deftly toes the line of morality, so she would be at-home playing a part like Marlene. A final popular, but unrealistic, choice is Regina King, the star of HBO’s Watchmen and Oscar-winner. A veteran of HBO, it’s obvious why fans would suggest her, but with King moving more into directing, it’s highly unlikely she’ll be available to be Marlene.
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