‘The Last of Us’ director why Pedro Pascal replaced voice actor Troy Baker

The Last of Us writer and director Neil Druckmann revealed why the team cast Pedro Pascal over voice actor Troy Baker as Joel in the HBO adaptation.

During a discussion about the series with Buzzfeed, Druckmann explained the reason why they didn’t bring the famed voice actor to reprise his role from the game was because he didn’t need “to look the part.”

“The unique thing about video games is you don't need to look the part,” he said. “Which is why Ashley Johnson, when she was 27, was able to play a 14-year-old girl [Ellie]. Troy Baker at the time was this tall, skinny, bleached-hair hipster — but then when he spoke and moved, he became the role. That's why we couldn't cast those same people into these roles for the show, but they were instrumental in bringing those characters to life.”

Although, this does not rule out the possibility of Baker appearing in the series altogether. A trailer for The Last of Us in December 2022 revealed that Baker would appear in the adaptation, though his exact role remains unconfirmed.

Per CBR, fans speculated that he would play either David, the preacher leader of a group of cannibals Ellie encounters during the Winter chapter of the game, or one of his accomplices. Others believe that Baker will be playing James, David’s right-hand man, as Baker arguably looks too young to play David.