How The Last of Us Changed The Mandalorian Season 3 Finale
The conclusion of season 3 of The Mandalorian was packed with multiple discoveries; unfortunately, one of these was left out due to Pedro Pascal’s involvement with The Last of Us.
The third season of The Mandalorian saw Din Djarin joining forces with Bo-Katan Kryze to bring unity amongst the Mandalorian tribes and take back their homeland of Mandalore. Throughout this journey, Djarin rediscovered his cultural heritage and explored what being a Mandalorian and caring for Grogu meant to him. The finale of the season featured Djarin and Grogu, who he formally adopted and made his Mandalorian apprentice, finding peace at their new home on the outskirts of Nevarro. While this ending provided a pleasant moment for the Mandalorian and Grogu, it was not what the writers had initially planned.
On The Hot Mic podcast, Jeff Sneider discussed a report he’d heard in regards to the initial plan for The Mandalorian season 3 ending. He stated, “There was a timing issue with Pedro Pascal not appearing in the finale of ‘The Mandalorian’. That came down to scheduling conflicts with ‘The Last of Us’, which had priority over the show.” Sneider went on to explain that Pascal had been on set for a couple of episodes during the past season.
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It’s not hard to imagine why Pedro Pascal would prioritize The Last of Us over The Mandalorian if it is true. The production schedule for the two shows overlapped in the past two years, with filming for The Last of Us beginning in July 2021 and for The Mandalorian beginning in October 2021, nine months before the completion of filming for The Last of Us. Since Pascal’s character in The Last of Us shows his face each time he is on-screen, he had to be present on set for every scene featuring Joel, while his presence was not as required on the set of The Mandalorian since his character is usually covered in armor. It appears like an obvious decision for Pascal to decline shooting a single scene for The Mandalorian due to his busy schedule with the other show that needs him on set for most of the scenes.
As the number of seasons for both shows has increased, viewers may ponder if this pattern will persist. Pascal has been applauded for his work on The Mandalorian, yet he doesn’t get to display his face the way he does in The Last of Us, so it would make sense for him to keep on favoring The Last of Us above The Mandalorian. Yet, those who have played Part II may be aware that Pascal may not have as prominent a part in The Last of Us season 2. Even though showrunners Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin have not validated any plot details regarding season 2, it is tough to think that they would alter one of the major plot points from the game. So, while recording The Last of Us season 1 may have taken precedence in this case, possibly Pascal will be more accessible for upcoming seasons of The Mandalorian.