Mahershala Ali was considered for the role of Joel in HBO's upcoming video game adaptation The Last of Us. Ali has been working in the industry since 2003, but the actor shot to fame after his role in Best Picture winner Moonlight. Ali went on to win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for that film and won the same award two years later for Green Book. Most recently, Ali starred in True Detective's third season to critical acclaim, snagging the highly coveted titular role in Marvel's revival of Blade along the way.
The Last of Us has been in the works for some time at HBO. Based on the immensely popular Naughty Dog video game and its sequel, The Last of Us Part II, the series will follow grizzled survivor Joel and his young companion, Ellie, as they traverse a post-apocalyptic United States in search of a cure for the Cordyceps virus. Both The Last of Us and The Last of Us Part II garnered critical acclaim and were the best selling video games in the years that they came out. HBO has asked for a straight-to-series order for the show's first season.
THR the role of Joel went to The Mandalorian star Pedro Pascal. He will be starring alongside Game of Thrones breakout Bella Ramsey as Ellie. Rumors swirled prior to the announcement of Pascal and Ramsey's casting that Ali had been offered the role of Joel. THR confirmed that Ali was, in fact, considered for the role, but a deal never came together for the actor.
Ali would've been a great choice for the role of Joel, but it's easy to see why the deal never solidified. Ali is set to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe when Blade hits theaters sometime in the next few years. While there is no set date for Blade's release, it's more than likely that Marvel will set up his debut solo feature with a small appearance in other Marvel films. Blade just got a screenwriter in Watchmen scribe Stacy Osei-Kuffor, and, with the film starting to take shape, Ali will likely be quite busy.
Committing to The Last of Us would've likely been a multi-year endeavor for Ali. While HBO has not announced plans for future seasons of the show, it seems more than likely that The Last of Us could continue for several seasons. The first game takes up to 16 hours to complete, while The Last of Us Part II is around a 24 to 30 hour long adventure. The Last of Us' story will take place over several seasons and with the game's built in fanbase, it seems a near guaranteed success. With Ali joining the MCU, both commitments might've been too much for the actor to take on. Luckily, the show seems to be in good hands with Pascal.
Source: THR