Troy Baker played Joel in The Last of Us video games, delivering an unforgettable performance as Joel and ensuring fans would fall in love with the character. That was essential in order for the divisive sequel to work, and while his story has reached its end, it will be told all over again in HBO's upcoming TV series.
In that, The Mandalorian star Pedro Pascal will play Joel, and there's a tremendous amount of excitement for the adaptation. Recently, a first look was revealed that definitely impressed, while fans have welcomed reports that Barker will have a role in the show.
Talking to us about playing the Dark Knight in Batman and Superman: Battle of the Super Sons, the actor revealed whether he got to speak to Pascal and hyped his role in The Last of Us TV series.
"I had a wonderful conversation with Pedro that I will save until after the series airs so there are no spoilers about it, but I can definitely say that my first day on set, I was able to look around this beautiful location…and I had to pinch myself," Barker reveals. "I couldn’t believe we were there."
"If you’d gone back ten years ago and said, ‘This audition you’re walking into for this game…you have no idea how successful and embraced it will be by people. Oh, and you’re going to be in Canada shooting one of the most expensive HBO series that’s ever been done before!’ I’d never have believed you."
"The story we’re telling there, just like the one we’re telling with Super Sons, is something fans and people who have never had an entry point into these characters before are going to appreciate," he teased. "I'm honoured to be part of it."
We're definitely looking forward to seeing this small screen version of the hit video game and are very intrigued to learn how Barker factors into that. Just like Nathan Drake actor Nolan North making a cameo appearance in Uncharted felt like the right thing to do on Sony's part, we're pleased that HBO hasn't overlooked this actor's contributions to creating Joel.
The Last of Us is set to premiere on HBO sometime in 2023.