Last year brought us the epic video game-adapted series The Last of Us, which won an Emmy and Golden Globe Award. The show, starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsay, was a roaring success with fans galore.
On the other hand, Alien: Romulus is one of the many legendary installments of the franchise, filled with grotesque aliens, jumpscares, spaceships, and at one point, another planet.
The Last of Us has a similar theme and mood except for the other planet parts and spaceships. The show features an apocalyptic era where Earth is ruled by hyper-evolved fungi that can control your brain!
Furthermore, it follows the journey of survivors on a quest to eventually find a cure while defeating the ominous and creepy fungi creatures. Nevertheless, did you know that both Alien: Romulus and The Last of Us are connected? Keep reading to find out how!
Disclaimer: This article is solely based on the author's opinions. Reader discretion is advised.
How are Alien: Romulus and Last of Us connected?
The actress Isabela Merced, who plays 'Kay' in Alien: Romulus, is also set to portray 'Dina' in The Last of Us Season 2! The common thread between them per filmmaker Fede Alvarez is their pregnancy.
Per Alverez's tweet on X, formerly Twitter, he revealed the timeline of casting her characters for the movie and the series respectively: one year apart. Alvarez wrote on X,
The story of a pregnant Dina made me think of having the character of Kay be pregnant too...
Furthermore, in the tweet, he confirmed that the ordeal of Merced being cast as a pregnant character is a true story. Alverez wrote the entire tweet in response to a user on X's query about the filmmaker playing The Last of Us.
Season 2 is set to release next year and Merced's confirmation as a pregnant character draws speculation about what fate awaits her in Last of Us.
Here's a theory: Desperate to forget her alien trauma, she supposedly donned a new identity—Dina—and was pregnant again. Upon returning, she finds herself in the Last of Us scenario per the trailer of the show.
Whether or not The Last of Us Season 2 will explore the inkling of Merced's character from Alien: Romulus remains to be speculated. For now, fans are eagerly looking forward to the upcoming season of The Last of Us.
When will The Last of Us Season 2 be released?
Season 2 of The Last of Us will premiere sometime in 2025. Per Deadline, the show's co-creators Craig Maizen and Niel Druckman confirmed that the new season would have seven episodes.
Speaking to the publication, Maizen explained the reason for having shorter episodes, saying,
"The story material we got from Part II of the game is way more than the story material that was in the first game..."
Lastly, Maizen highlights the importance of a "breakpoint," claiming that it only arrives at the end of the seven episodes from the upcoming season 2 of The Last of Us. Despite the concerns over time, there's no doubt the new season will be as good or even better than the previous one!
You can watch the first season of The Last of Us on streaming platforms such as HBO Max, Prime Video, and Hulu.
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