The Last of Us arguably left its mark on a whole generation of gamers, and when we heard the news that it was going to get an HBO adaptation, we were absolutely over the moon. It looks like HBO aren’t going to pull any punches when it comes to dealing with the dark subject matter of the series, and judging by Naughty Dog relaxing its treatment of adult material with the upcoming The Last of Us Part II, we’re pretty sure that the TV series will do this beloved title justice as long as it stays faithful to the source material. Of course, what would an adaptation announcement be without a fan cast? Specifically, here’s our list of The Last of Us HBO series dream cast picks. 

The Last of Us HBO Series Dream Cast Picks

So, not all of the picks on our list are going to be Unpopular Opinions, per se. We’ve seen all the kerfuffle around Hugh Jackman, sure, but we’re going with a mix of fan favorites whom we genuinely think would do the roles justice, and maybe some others that you might not have considered. We’re really keen to see who actually gets cast, but in the meantime, here are our The Last of Us HBO series dream cast picks featuring Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and more. 

The Last of Us HBO Series Dream Cast Picks – Joel

This is a pick that we’ve seen echoed around the internet a bit already, but why not Nikolaj Coster-Waldau for Joel? We’ve already seen how well he’s done as the jaded warrior trying to be better in Game of Thrones, and arguably transplanting that same energy to the character of Joel would be exactly what fans want to see. Nikolaj portrayed the extreme ends of the spectrum of human emotion in his turn as Jaime Lannister, so we know that he can do desperation and grief as well as he can do violence. This one’s a no-brainer for us. 

The Last of Us HBO Series Dream Cast Picks – Ellie

While plenty of picks are going straight for brunette actresses when it comes to Ellie, hair color is just that – a color. We reckon that Elle Fanning would do a pretty great turn as Ellie in The Last of US HBO series, and she’s been taking on a stream of darker roles ever since Winding-Refn’s The Neon Demon. Elle Fanning has shown incredible emotional range as well as a knack for playing younger characters exposed to forces beyond their control that begin to haunt them. For that reason, we reckon she’s a shoe-in for Ellie.

The Last of Us HBO Series Dream Cast Picks – Marlene

Marlene is someone who has a real take-no-prisoners attitude, and who better to portray this grizzled character than Nicole Beharie? After having done years of Sleepy Hollow, we know that she’s got experience dealing with not only the magical but the monstrous, which we think makes her a good fit here against Clickers. Her penchant for leading lady roles on TV would probably put her in good stead as well when it comes to the charisma that the character of Marlene needs to display, and her turn in Black Mirror lets us know that she can bring the vulnerability needed to the role too.

The Last of Us HBO Series Dream Cast Picks – Tess

Sure, there have been plenty of calls for the actress who already plays Tess in the Last of Us to reprise her role, but we reckon that Lucy Lawless would do well in the role. Tess has grit, sass, and her flirtatious relationship with Joel are all important facets of her character – she deflects from the hardship that she’s been through, and we know that Lawless can do tough-as-nails flawlessly. After turns in Spartacus as the devious domina and her landmark role as Xena, we have no doubt that she can bring all Tess’ moving parts to life.

The Last of Us HBO Series Dream Cast Picks – David

 Now when we’re talking David, we’re talking a certain degree of ruthlessness and violent fervor. Adrien Brody is our pick for this role, and not only because we reckon the visual resemblance is pretty uncanny. Brody was recently in Peaky Blinders as an Italian mafioso hellbent on revenge, and that sort of dogged pursuit of a kill would serve him very well as David in the Last of Us HBO adaptation. David’s relationship with Ellie is hugely pivotal to the latter’s character development, and Brody is a powerhouse actor whom we reckon will do the role justice and make his own death scene positively electrifying. 

The Last of Us HBO Series Dream Cast Picks – Henry

Henry has one of the most heartbreaking moments in The Last of Us, and even though it’s not necessarily a leading man’s role, his character was so memorable to us that we reckon someone with the appropriate gravitas should portray Henry. Enter: Anthony Mackie. Fresh off his turn as the leading man in Altered Carbon Season 2, Mackie brought equal parts a resigned approach to violence as well as a deep sense of desperation that we reckon are two core tenets of Henry’s character. Mackie is no stranger to playing survivors and family men, so we reckon that this would be a great role for him. 

And there you have it! Those are our particular choices for our Last of Us HBO series dream cast picks. Do you reckon we’ve taken a step in the wrong direction on any of them? Or maybe you just want to gush about Nikolaj Coster-Waldau? Why not let us know on Twitter at @PrimaGames? For more updates on the latest in The Last of Us news, why not check out what we’ve put together about The Last of Us Part II below in our dedicated hub for everything about Ellie’s dystopian adventures?

• The Last of Us HBO TV Series Will Closely Follow the Game, Confirms Creator
• The Last of Us Part II Will Feature Sexual Content, A First for Naughty Dog
• First Look At ‘The Art of The Last of Us Part II’ Deluxe Edition from Dark Horse