Pedro Pascal addresses Joel's fate in The Last of Us

Pedro Pascal has addressed Joel's fate in The Last of Us: Part II of which sees the character brutally murdered in its opening act.

Given how faithful the first series of HBO's groundbreaking show was, fans have been speculating that Pascal's time on the show may soon come to a close.

Speaking to Esquire, Pascal said: "It wouldn't make sense to follow the first game so faithfully only to stray severely from the path. So yeah, that's my honest answer."

The series' co-writer, Craig Mazin, seemed to hint similarly, as he explained: "This should be fairly obvious to anyone by now, but I don't fear killing characters.

"But the important thing to note is that neither Neil nor I feel constrained by the source material."

Pascal's co-star Bella Ramsey is more reluctant to say goodbye to Pascal, however.

She said: "If that does take place in the show, I don't know that I'm emotionally ready for it."

Lastly, Pascal added: "Maybe at that point I'll get myself off the streets for a while. Maybe it'll be time for a vacation."

Are you prepared to wave goodbye to Pascal's take on Joel?