‘The Last Of Us 2’ News & Update: Naughty Dog’s ‘TLOU’ Sequel Will Not Feature Ellie?

"The Last Of Us 2" from developer Naughty Dog and creator Neil Druckmann had been widely believed to be returning with protagonist Ellie (Ashley Johnson). However, as "The Last Of Us 2" will not seem to be bringing back Joel (Troy Baker), neither will the "TLOU" sequel return with Ellie.

"The Last Of Us" fans went mad when the Easter egg that Naughty Dog hid in "Uncharted 4: A Thief's End" was discovered. In the "Uncharted 4" Easter egg, a poster that says "American Daughters" seems to indicate that "The Last Of Us 2" will put Ellie as the solo lead and do away with Joel.

Adorable. https://t.co/xiLn2ohG6x

— Neil Druckmann (@Neil_Druckmann) July 26, 2016

Unilad, however, cites an interview by GameSpot with Ashley Johnson on her thoughts of Ellie and "The Last Of Us 2." According to Ashley Johnson, the "TLOU" star would love to reprise Ellie in "The Last Of Us 2."

Ashley Johnson also revealed that the "TLOU" star did not think the franchise needs "The Last Of Us 2 as it can stand on its own. However, if Naughty Dog and Neil Druckmann do come up with "The Last Of Us 2," Ashley Johnson said that she would want to be in the "TLOU" sequel.

"I feel like if they were to pursue it again, if they were to have another story for Ellie or Joel or that whole world, I would totally jump on board," Ashley Johnson said. Unilad points out that the manner by which Ashley Johnson spoke of "The Last Of Us 2" does not seem to indicate that the "TLOU" star is aware of any sequel plans.

The media outlet proposes that one possibility that "TLOU" fans should consider is that "The Last Of Us 2" will feature neither Ellie nor Joel. Conversely, Naughty Dog and Neil Druckmann could still be getting to the process of talking to Ashley Johnson about redoing Ellie for "The Last Of Us 2."

"The Last Of Us 2" is optimistically projected for a 2018 release by Naughty Dog. Do you think Ellie and/or Joel should return for "The Last Of Us 2" or do you believe the "TLOU" sequel should start fresh with all-new characters?