Major The Last of Us (Part 1) spoilers ahead.
The Last of Usco-creator Neil Druckmann has confirmed that the Fireflies would have developed a working cure for the Cordyceps brain infection had Joel not stopped them at the end of the first game. In doing so, he effectively ended over a decade’s worth of fan speculation, paintingThe Last of Us 1’s ending in a new and definitive light.
Joel’s decision to stop the Fireflies from performing fatal surgery on Ellie in an attempt to develop a cure for the Cordyceps infection at the end ofThe Last of Ushas been the source of countless debates over the years. While some fans found his decision selfish, others argued there was no guarantee that the cure would have worked anyway. Both camps, however, generally agreed that theending of the firstThe Last of Usgame was intentionally left ambiguous.
Some 12 years later, it turns out this widespread assumption was incorrect, as suggested by some recent comments fromThe Last of Usco-creator Neil Druckmann. “All I can say is our intent is that they would have made a cure,” the industry veteran said during the latest episode of Last Stand Media’sSacred Symbols+podcast, around the 54-minute mark.
Elaborating on this point, Druckmann acknowledged that the science presented in the game was “a little shaky,” identifying that as one of the reasons why fans questioned the plausibility of the Fireflies' plan. Nonetheless, Naughty Dog always intended for the cure plan to be viable, even if the end result was seemingly left more ambiguous than what the developer wanted.
All I can say is our intent is that they would have made a cure.
The narrative need for a viable cure comes down to its ability to present “the most interesting philosophical question” stemming from the game’s ending, Druckmann explained. If the cure wasn’t going to work anyway, thenJoel would clearly have been in the right at the end ofThe Last of Us. This way, however, his reasoning and the consequences of his choice are much more thought-provoking. Druckmann noted that, ultimately, the player’s experience is what’s most important, saying that he “can’t question” anyone who finished the game and interpreted the viability of the Fireflies' cure differently from what the developer intended.
Even though he always intended for the cure to work,Druckmann believes Joel was right to save Ellie at the end ofThe Last of Us, having said as much in a recent interview with IGN. The veteran game director opined that he’d hope to achieve the same thing Joel did if he was in his unenviable position. TheSacred Symbols+interview also saw Druckmann field yet another question about the chances ofThe Last of Us Part 3. Like before, he said he remains open to returning to the franchise, provided he comes up with an idea for a third installment that he considers strong enough.
