The Last of Us showrunner says he’d be open to spin-offs under certain conditions

The Last of Us spin-offs could happen, but the studio must take great care when expanding the world and its characters.

HBO‘s The Last of Us could be the beginning of something much more significant for the network. Development on the second season is already underway, but could there be more in the pipeline? According to The Last of Us co-creator Craig Mazin, spin-offs could happen. However, extensive talks should take place about how an expansion to the world would enrich the world and its characters.

“We haven’t talked about that specifically because we’re so focused on just telling this main narrative,” Mazin told The Wrap about creating spin-offs. “I’m not against the idea of other shows that may draw from these characters or that world.” 

Speaking about his contribution to the franchise, Mazin continued, “I don’t know how much more The Last of Us I personally would be able to do. I mean, these shows are so big, I’m sort of burning one of the precious few remaining decades I have on telling this story. But in principle, I have no issue with it whatsoever. And I’m sure Neil would be interested as well.”

“If there was something that made sense, then I don’t see why not,” Mazin added. “My great hope is that if there is anything like that, that it’s done with as much care and respect and love as what we are applying to this series right now.”

It’s challenging to think about expanding The Last of Us world without drawing comparisons to AMC’s The Walking Dead. Few could have predicted how much that show would blow up and grow throughout the years. With The Last of Us in a similar post-apocalyptic boat, stories and characters from Joel’s (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie’s (Bella Ramsey) orbit could extend beyond Sony’s initial intentions for the series.

I can think of several characters that could get a spin-off series, including The Last of Us Part II’s Abby Anderson, the game’s primary antagonist, or Lev, a former member of the Seraphites and the brother of Yara. Their stories extend beyond The Last of Us Part II; that is obvious. If Sony wants to focus on existing characters, they could start there. Or, like AMC’s The Walking Dead, they could introduce brand-new characters to the franchise and tell their harrowing stories.

Would you be open to more series from The Last of Us? Can you think of any existing characters from the franchise you’d like to know more about? Let us know in the comments section below.