Exploring Joel's Future: From Games to Potential TV Adaptations
By Published Apr 22, 2026, 10:18 AM EDT Chris is a Gaming Editor at ScreenRant. He has been a professional writer since 2009, and has written for top TV, comics, movie, and video game outlets like Engadget, Polygon, Destructoid, and more. He brings with him an expertise in every game genre, no matter how niche or mainstream.
You may know him as the former Managing/Reviews Editor of Destructoid, where he published hundreds of game reviews across every genre, including MMOs, sports games, and Metroidvanias.
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We haven't seen the last of . In addition to re-releases of the first two games with various features and "director's cut" material, the television show is entering its third season, which will adapt more of the second core game. After that, who knows what will happen, as HBO could end the show or order another spinoff.
In the meantime, fans are eagerly awaiting a potential "Part 3" reveal, and have been for many years. Heck, even DLC for Part 2 has been rumored, while the events of the second game unfold. Once work on Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet is finished, it seems like Naughty Dog is poised to bring back at least one of their main franchises, if not multiple, with a potential Uncharted follow-up.
Based on a conversation had with The Last Of Us voice actor Troy Baker, it seems like we could be seeing more of Joel. There are multiple ways this could happen.
The Last Of Us Star Teases Joel's Return
Troy Baker has been working just as much as he did when he was voicing Joel in the series. He's in demand pretty much everywhere, . But he always has nostalgia for playing Joel, and he can't help but reference this iconic role in various interviews and press conferences.
Speaking to Eurogamer, Baker praised the TV show and Pedro Pascal's performance. As for Joel himself, here's what Baker had to say this time around: "I want to see this character be proliferated and iterated on in multiple mediums, whether it be TV, film, more games, comic books. I see people that cosplay as [Joel] all the time… he made an impact."
Later in the interview, he also muses: "I definitely know we've not seen the last of Joel, whether that be Naughty Dog or somebody else." It seems like the door is open, even in a different adaptation.
Could Joel Appear In The Last Of Us Part 3?
That said, all eyes are on The Last Of Us Part 3. How could Joel appear? Well, Part 2 showed that flashbacks, a popular tool in Naughty Dog's storytelling, could also serve as another way to give us more of the character. Flashbacks will also, no doubt, continue to be employed in the third season of the TV show, inherently giving fans more of Joel.
Naughty Dog is a lot like Bethesda in that it has its hands full with multiple popular properties in the hopper at any given time, so it could be a while until we see a proper The Last Of Us Part 3. When it does arrive, fans will be there.
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