MCU’s new Blade Mahershala Ali almost played Joel in The Last of Us

Next week on Sunday, HBO’s latest hit The Last of Us is going to air its final episode of Season 1. Fans are really excited to see how Season 1 ends, and those who have played the game know that it isn’t something a lot of people would like. Fans have loved Pedro Pascal’s rendition of Joel so far, however, many would be surprised to know he wasn’t the first choice to play the character.

Who was initially up for playing Joel in The Last of Us?

Mahershala Ali, who has a pretty important role to play in Marvel Cinematic Universe as Blade, was initially in talks to play Joel in HBO’s adaptation of The Last of Us. The news was revealed by Jeffrey Pierce, the voice of Tommy, Joel’s brother, in the games.

Jeffrey knew he wasn’t going to play Tommy as soon as the creators called Ali

In a recent interview with The Direct, Pierce said, “I think initially they had talked to Mahershala Ali about playing Joel, which is an obvious cue that I’m not gonna play Tommy… And when they cast Pedro [Pascal], I knew like, yeah, that was certainly not going to happen regardless, I’m older than Pedro Pascal. So I was not under harboring any illusions about that, for sure.”

Did Mahershala Ali also audition for Game of Thrones?

Yes, Mahershala Ali did audition for the role of a “merchant who gets locked in a safe in season three or something like that.” Fans of the show can safely assume that Ali was trying out for the role of Xaro Xhoan Daxos, which ultimately went to Nonso Anozie. He later joked about it on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

When does The Last of Us Season 1 finale air?

The Last of Us Episode 9 titled “Look for the Light,” is the conclusion to season 1. The finale will air next Sunday, March 12 at 9:00 p.m. EST.

Read Next: The Last of Us Season 2 might begin filming in 2023!