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Troy Baker Says Pedro Pascal’s The Perfect Choice For Joel In HBO’s The Last Of Us

Following on from the surprise announcement this week that Pedro Pascal would be assuming the role of Joel - Game of Thrones star Bella Ramsey was also confirmed to play Ellie - in HBO's upcoming The Last of Us adaptation, it's not just fans that have been reacting to the revelation. Indeed, prolific voice actor Troy Baker, who provided the voice for Joel in Naughty Dog's two-part epic, has shared his own thoughts on the casting and, unsurprisingly, they're overwhelmingly positive.

Pedro Pascal

Following on from the surprise announcement this week that Pedro Pascal would be assuming the role of Joel – Game of Thrones star Bella Ramsey was also confirmed to play Ellie – in HBO’s upcoming The Last of Us adaptation, it’s not just fans that have been reacting to the revelation. Indeed, prolific voice actor Troy Baker, who provided the voice for Joel in Naughty Dog’s two-part epic, has shared his own thoughts on the casting and, unsurprisingly, they’re overwhelmingly positive.

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In a post on his personal Instagram, Baker made reference to Pascal’s turn as Din Djarin in The Mandalorian by echoing a phrase often spoken on the show. “This IS the way,” he said, adding: “Full support. Full Stop.” Clearly eager to see the US cable network put its own stamp on the property when it kicks off later this year, Baker signs off by professing how he “can’t wait” for Pascal to show him a dimension to the beloved character not seen in the source material.

Just how much the two versions of Ellie’s surrogate father figure will differ between television and games remains to be seen, of course, though one thing we can all be sure of is that Pascal’s interpretation will sound markedly different. Baker’s vocal cords are some of the most recognizable, after all, so it’ll be interesting to see how much of an impact that difference alone will have on perceptions.

As for supporting cast members and plot details, the showrunners have so far remained tight-lipped with regard to both, though you can no doubt expect to learn more as the The Last of Us‘ initial air date (ETA 2021) draws closer. In the meantime, feel free to let us know what you make of the casting choices so far in the usual place below!