In no small part of the studio itself, Naughty Dog’s upcoming slate is difficult to nail down.UnchartedandThe Last of Ushave been Naughty Dog’s bread and butter for quite a while with complementary remasters, remakes, and ports releasing thereafter, and withIntergalactic: The Heretic Prophetnow revealed it will be interesting to see if eitherUnchartedorThe Last of Usis kept around in the meantime. Naughty Dog’s Neil Druckmann has been asked often about what to expect fromThe Last of Usas of late with answers that are neither reassuring nor condemning, but it would seem as if there may be at least one or two games in development at Naughty Dog that haven’t been revealed yet,Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophetnot included.
BeforeIntergalactic: The Heretic Prophetwas announced, it was confirmed thatTroy Baker would be playing a role in a “Druckmann’s new project at Naughty Dog.”Now, it would seem plain that Baker has earned a role inIntergalacticand not a yet-to-be-announced Naughty Dog game as Druckmann is writer and director on the upcoming sci-fi game. Either way, while his casting is sure to be inspired, it would be equally exciting ifLast of Usco-star Ashley Johnson joined him.
The Last of Us Can’t Be the Last Naughty Dog Sees of Ashley Johnson
Unlike Troy Baker, who adopts a gravelly tone for Joel,Ashley Johnson is synonymous with Ellie.The Last of Usmay center around Joel predominantly, but even the original game has Ellie be a focal point that the story naturally adheres to as it progresses.
The Last of Us’ harrowing sequel is obviously where Ellie is able to stretch her limbs, but the performances in both games are remarkably similar in their depth of emotion, which is especially outstanding considering that Johnson plays a character who is 14 inPart 1and 19 inPart 2. Because there may not be anotherLast of Usgame to follow Ellie’s journey further, Naughty Dog not casting Johnson for a role inIntergalacticor another upcoming game would be a travesty.
Plus, even if there will inevitably be aPart 3, it’s incredibly likely that a thirdLast of Usgame would be the franchise’s last with how much ambiguity surrounds it.
ALast of Us Part 3would surely conclude open-endedly if Druckmann has his way, and yet the series seems as if it’s already on borrowed time with regard to how little certainty there is that it could continue in any capacity beyond HBO’s television adaptation. Rather, Naughty Dog might be prepared to invest itself fully intoIntergalacticand whatever Shaun Escayg may or may not be helming—assuming the recent rumors are true—and in doing so it will hopefully have a part in mind for Johnson to play.
Why a Fresh Cast Might Be Best for Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet
It’s perfectly possible that Troy Baker could eventually reprise his role as Samuel Drake in an upcomingUnchartedgame, especially with fresh rumors ofa newUnchartedinstallment being helmed byThe Lost Legacy’s Shaun Escayg, while aLast of Usprequel focusing on Joel and Tommy’s early outbreak days seems less likely due to the franchise’s ambiguous longevity. That said, there’s also merit inIntergalactic: The Heretic Prophetat least largely debuting a cast of characters whose actors are all new to Naughty Dog games.
Jordan A. Mun’s Tati Gabrielle is certainly no stranger to Naughty Dogafter having starred in Sony’sUnchartedmovie as well as the second season of HBO’sThe Last of Us, to be fair. But, having her play the lead inIntergalacticwill give the game the novelty it needs to cleave cleanly from the iconic portrayals and performances that Naughty Dog has fostered in previous games.
Unless she plays a wildly different character or assumes an unnatural voice, it’s possible that casting Ashley Johnson again so soon afterThe Last of Us Part 2would only lend itself to players hearing Ellie’s voice and not someone new. Regardless, Johnson absolutely deserves to have as many roles as Naughty Dog can provide her with, and it’ll be exciting to see if she does end up playing a character inIntergalactic: The Heretic Prophetalongside Baker ifIntergalactictruly is the Naughty Dog game he’ll appear in next.
