Craig Mazin, the showrunner behind HBO’s The Last of Us, has teased that the show’s upcoming second season will be quite different when compared to certain parts of The Last of Us Part II. Previously, Mazin has confirmed that Season 2 of the HBO series would look to directly adapt The Last of Us Part II, which is the 2020 sequel to the original game. And while the broad narrative strokes for Season 2 are still going to stem from Part II, Mazin has now indicated that he and fellow producer Neil Druckmann might already be planning to shake things up from what fans would expect.
In response to a question from ComicBook.com during a recent press event, Mazin spoke a bit about what is currently in the cards for The Last of Us Season 2. Broadly, Mazin again made clear that The Last of Us Part II will serve as the template for the upcoming slate of episodes, but he also stressed that fans don’t yet know what he might have in store when it comes to changes. Although Mazin said nothing about what those changes in question might look like, it was conveyed that there will be some departures.
“It will be different. Just as this season was different. Sometimes it will be different radically and sometimes it will be barely different at all. But it’s going to be different and it will be its own thing,” Mazin said of Season 2 when compared to The Last of Us Part II. “It won’t be exactly like the game. It will be the show that Neil and I want to make.”
When it comes to making changes, though, Mazin also said that he has great anxiety about The Last of Us and tackling its second season. Mazin stated that if there is something about Season 2 that fans are currently worried about, it’s also something that he is stressing about behind the scenes. As such, Mazin won’t be looking to make changes to The Last of Us for the heck of it, as every decision is one that is calculated and mulled over for a long period of time.
At this point in time, HBO hasn’t said a peep about when The Last of Us Season 2 will air on HBO and HBO Max. Based on what star Pedro Pascal recently teased, however, filming on Season 2 could potentially begin before 2023 comes to a close. If this does indeed come to pass, it suggests that a release of Season 2 could happen in 2024 or perhaps early 2025, but only time will tell if this plays out.
What changes would you like to see Mazin and Druckmann bring to Season 2 of The Last of Us? And what did you happen to think about the show’s Season 1 finale? Be sure to let me know either down in the comments or reach out to me on Twitter at @MooreMan12.