In no small part of the studio itself, Naughty Dog’s upcoming slate is difficult to nail down. Uncharted and The Last of Us have been Naughty Dog’s bread and butter for quite a while with complementary remasters, remakes, and ports releasing thereafter, and with Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet now revealed it will be interesting to see if either Uncharted or The Last of Us is kept around in the meantime. Naughty Dog’s Neil Druckmann has been asked often about what to expect from The Last of Us as 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 Prophet not included.
Before Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet was announced, it was confirmed that Troy 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 in Intergalactic and 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 if Last of Us co-star Ashley Johnson joined him.
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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 Us may 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 in Part 1 and 19 in Part 2. Because there may not be another Last of Us game to follow Ellie’s journey further, Naughty Dog not casting Johnson for a role in Intergalactic or another upcoming game would be a travesty.
Plus, even if there will inevitably be a Part 3, it’s incredibly likely that a third Last of Us game would be the franchise’s last with how much ambiguity surrounds it.
A Last of Us Part 3 would 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 into Intergalactic and 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 upcoming Uncharted game, especially with fresh rumors of a new Uncharted installment being helmed by The Lost Legacy’s Shaun Escayg, while a Last of Us prequel 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 in Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet at 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 Dog after having starred in Sony’s Uncharted movie as well as the second season of HBO’s The Last of Us, to be fair. But, having her play the lead in Intergalactic will 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 after The Last of Us Part 2 would 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 in Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet alongside Baker if Intergalactic truly is the Naughty Dog game he’ll appear in next.
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Sony Interactive Entertainment