The Season 2 finale of HBO’s The Last of Us aired on May 25, 2025, leaving fans reeling from its emotional weight and a cliffhanger that sets up a seismic shift for Season 3. At the heart of the buzz is whether Pedro Pascal will return as Joel Miller, the beloved surrogate father figure whose shocking death in Season 2, Episode 2 rocked the fanbase.
In a recent press conference covered by The Hollywood Reporter, showrunner Craig Mazin, alongside co-creator Neil Druckmann, addressed the burning question of Joel’s future, offering a tantalizing hint: “All I can say is we haven’t seen the last of a lot of people who are currently dead in the story.” While not confirming Pascal’s return outright, Mazin’s words have sparked hope that Joel could reappear in Season 3, likely through flashbacks, as the series continues to adapt The Last of Us Part II.
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The second season, which wrapped with 3.7 million U.S. viewers—a 30% drop from its premiere and 55% less than Season 1’s finale—followed the game’s brutal narrative, with Joel’s death at the hands of Abby (Kaitlyn Dever) setting Ellie (Bella Ramsey) on a revenge-driven path. Despite his early exit, Pascal returned for a flashback-heavy Episode 6, exploring the strained dynamic between Joel and Ellie after his Season 1 hospital massacre.
Mazin’s comments suggest Season 3 could dive deeper into untold stories, potentially featuring Joel and his brother Tommy (Gabriel Luna) in side narratives. “Next season, we probably will have a lot more flexibility [to tell side stories],” Mazin said. “Maybe a side trip to Joel and Tommy terrorizing the countryside, we’ll never know.”
However, some outlets, like ScreenRant, report Episode 6 as Pascal’s final appearance, citing cast and crew farewells and the adaptation of most of Part II’s Joel flashbacks. Mazin’s openness to creative detours, though, keeps the door ajar. He even noted a surprise Season 2 story about Joel’s father, saying, “I wouldn’t have guessed we’d have a short story about Joel’s dad before we wrote the season.”
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With Season 3 set to focus on Abby’s perspective in Seattle, mirroring the game’s structure, Joel’s return would likely be in flashbacks or original scenes, perhaps exploring his murky past with Tommy. Druckmann emphasized the show’s willingness to take risks, telling Collider, “There’s a chance that this character could return in Season 3.” Yet, fan sentiment on X shows concern about the show’s pull without Pascal, with one user asking, “Can Bella Ramsey and Kaitlyn Dever carry a season without Pedro Pascal?”
While HBO hasn’t set a Season 3 release date, Mazin’s remarks and the game’s flashback-heavy narrative suggest Joel’s story isn’t over. Whether through Pascal or even a younger Joel played by another actor, as Polygon speculated, the showrunners seem intent on keeping Joel’s presence alive. For now, fans can stream Seasons 1 and 2 on Max, holding out hope that Pascal’s “hey, kiddo” will echo again in the apocalypse.