“Part of the mystery”: The Last of Us creator talks about the five-year time jump’s importance in Season 2

The Last of Us Season 2 is all set to debut on HBO on April 13, 2025. While the show is returning to the screens after two years, the narrative has jumped forward by five years in the second season.

The new installment continues the journey of Joel and Ellie in a post-apocalyptic world, while the two find themselves on opposing sides. Series co-creator Neil Druckmann has now opened up about the importance of the five-year time jump in The Last of Us Season 2.

In an interview with GamesRadar+, Druckmann said that the things that happened in the previous five years will form a big part of the mystery in the second season:

“So much things have happened in that five-year gap that that's part of the mystery of the season - what happened in those five years.”

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Neil Druckmann talks about the five-year time leap in The Last of Us Season 2

Apart from teasing how the timeline will form a mystery in The Last of Us Season 2, Neil Druckmann also highlighted Bella Ramsey’s growth as an actor between the two installments:

“Bella is such an incredible actor that not only are they older, but they've also experienced so much trauma in season one.”

Further talking about how Bella, who plays Ellie, can pull off mature emotions, Druckmann said:

“When you're watching Bella perform, you could just see this maturity behind their eyes. That is, it seems very simple, and it's very difficult to pull off and very few actors can pull up the way that they have.”

Hence, the time jump is a well-thought-out device used by the creators to make the story more engaging. Not only will the audience be intrigued by Ellie and Joel’s present storyline, but also remain curious about what happened with the two in the previous five years that led to the significant change in their characters.

An adaptation of the video game series of the same name, the show is set in a post-apocalyptic world where a virus is turning humans into zombie-like monsters. Meanwhile, a young girl, Ellie, has been found to be immune to the virus.

A smuggler named Joel is then tasked with accompanying Ellie across the country to keep her safe. The Last of Us Season 2 marks the return of Pedro Pascal as Joel Miller and Bella Ramsey as Ellie.

The rest of the cast includes Gabriel Luna as Tommy, Kaitlyn Dever as Abby, Rutina Wesley as Maria, Danny Ramirez as Manny, Isabela Merced as Dina, and Young Mazino as Jesse.

The Last of Us will return on HBO with its second season on April 13, 2025.