‘The Last Of Us’ creator reignites debate about cure controversy

23 May, 2025

Neil Druckmann, head of Naughty Dog and co-creator of The Last Of Us, has reignited the debate about a potential cure in the hit video game.

The original The Last Of Us game was released in 2013 and saw gruff smuggler Joel smuggling precocious survivor Ellie across a post-apocalyptic America, in the hopes that her blood could be used to cure the Cordyceps brain infection that had devastated humanity.

However when Joel delivers Ellie to the doctors, he is told she won’t survive the procedure and brutally murders them to save her life. Ever since then, fans have debated whether or not the struggling doctors would have the resources to make and distribute a cure. Released in 2020, The Last Of Us Part 2 reunited players with Joel and Ellie as they dealt with the ramifications of their actions, but the debate about a cure was never addressed.

The launch of the HBO adaptation of The Last Of Us in 2023 inspired a similar debate and this week’s episode ‘The Price’ saw Pedro Pascal’s Joel tell Bella Ramsey’s Ellie that a cure was possible.

Following that shock reveal, Neil Druckmann was a guest on the Sacred Shapes podcast where he confirmed that Joel had essentially doomed humanity to protect Ellie. “Could the Fireflies make a cure? Our intent was that, yes, they could,” Druckmann said. “Now, is our science a little shaky that now people are questioning it? Yeah, it was a little shaky and now people are questioning that. I can’t say anything. All I can say is that our intent is that they would have made a cure.”

“Not to argue with the guy who made the game but no, they wouldn’t,” one fan wrote on X. “The ambiguity was better, why ruin that,” said another. “Outright revealing that a cure was possible (even though Joel would have no idea of it was) actual takes away from the nuance of his decision,” added a third.

“I think the real point of the game is that it doesn’t matter. Cure or not, Joel would’ve made the same decision. So would many. This online debate is one of the most pointless for TLOU honestly,” said another fan.

“It’s a story about fucking mushroom zombies. It’s not realistic lol. Always seemed insane to me when people suddenly forget how to suspend disbelief,” replied another.

Elsewhere in the interview, Druckmann said The Last Of Us Part 3 was still possible, if they can come up with a story good enough. Meanwhile, The Last Of Us fans are being warned about spoilers after the season two finale was leaked online, ahead of its premiere this weekend.

In other news, Jason Momoa is reportedly in talks to star in a movie adaptation of Street Fighter, alongside WWE wrestler Roman Reigns.

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