The cast of HBO’s The Last of Us has included several veteran stars from various Marvel movies and TV shows, both in and out of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Many of the most popular, bankable, and successful actors around today have appeared in projects developed by Marvel, bringing dozens of vibrant, complex, and powerful characters from Marvel Comics to life. The fact that so many stars have appeared in Marvel’s movies and shows means it would have been hard to cast the live-action adaptation of The Last of Us without including some Marvel veterans.
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The Last of Us hit our screens in 2023 as a live-action adaptation of Naughty Dog’s critically-acclaimed video game from 2013. The series saw Joel Miller (Pedro Pascal) take Ellie (Bella Ramsey) across the United States, 20 years after an outbreak of a mutated form of Cordyceps fungus, to seek a cure for the infection that has taken control of much of the world’s population. The Last of Us Season 2 released in 2025 to continued critical acclaim, spotlighting Abby (Kaitlyn Dever) and the Washington Liberation Front’s battle against the Seraphites, and Season 3 is in development.
Over two seasons, The Last of Us has featured a total of 11 actors who have also appeared in various Marvel media. These stars have appeared in projects including The Avengers, Runaways, Agents of SHIELD, What If…?, and more, while Pedro Pascal will soon be debuting in the MCU’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps. While some of these actors have only had brief roles in both their Marvel projects and The Last of Us, others have been crucial to the development of both, and this list will surely expand as both franchises develop.
1) Ashley Johnson as Beth & Anna
Ashley Johnson holds a special role in The Last of Us’ history, as she not only appeared as Ellie’s mother, Anna, in Season 1’s finale, “Look for the Light,” but she also provided the voice and motion capture for Ellie in the original video game and its 2020 sequel. Before any of this, however, Johnson made a brief appearance in 2012’s The Avengers as Beth, who was saved by Steve Rogers’ Captain America (Chris Evans) during the Chitauri attack. Beth appeared in a news report thanking the Avengers, acting as the voice of those in support of the team.
2) Gabriel Luna as Robbie Reyes & Tommy Miller
Although he hasn’t appeared in the MCU proper, Gabriel Luna played a huge role in Agents of SHIELD Season 4 as Robbie Reyes’ Ghost Rider. Since his departure, there has been speculation of him joining the MCU officially, but this hasn’t yet occurred. Luna instead made the move to The Last of Us, where he debuted as Tommy Miller, the brother to Pascal’s Joel, who reunites with Joel in Jackson, Wyoming, and ends up becoming an uncle figure to Ellie, which was particularly important following Joel’s death in The Last of Us Season 2.
3) Graham Greene as Skully & Marlon
Graham Greene’s role in The Last of Us was tiny, but provided a great moment of connection and teamwork between Joel and Ellie after they watched Henry (Lamar Johnson) kill his brother, Sam (Keivonn Montreal Woodard), and himself. Greene’s Marlon appeared alongside his wife, Florence (Elaine Miles), as a couple living in the Wyoming wilderness who help Joel and Ellie find their way to Jackson. Greene had a larger role in the MCU’s Echo series as Skully, Maya Lopez’s (Alaqua Cox) grandfather-figure who helps her rekindle her relationship with her grandmother, Chula (Tantoo Cardinal).
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4) Isabela Merced as Anya Corazon & Dina
Before Isabela Merced makes her DC Universe debut as Hawkgirl, she starred alongside Dakota Johnson, Sydney Sweeney, and Celeste O’Connor in Madame Web as Anya Corazon. She surely wouldn’t want to be solely associated with Madame Web, however, considering the film’s poor performance, but her role as Dina in The Last of Us has earned her a lot more credibility and appreciation. Dina was introduced in The Last of Us Season 2 as Ellie’s love-interest who joins her in Seattle on her hunt for revenge, and she’ll surely have a large part to play in Season 3, too.
5) Ariela Barer as Gertrude Yorkes & Mel
Also introduced in The Last of Us Season 2 was Ariela Barer’s Mel, a member of Abby’s group, a former Firefly who joined the WLF and was a part of the scheme to murder Joel. Mel was later tracked down and accidentally killed by Ellie during her rampage through Seattle, which marked the demises of both Mel and her unborn child. Marvel fans will know Barer as Gertrude “Gert” Yorkes in Hulu’s Runaways series, the child of villainous time-travelers, and the companion to a genetically-engineered dinosaur. Runaways is not canon to the official MCU timeline.
6) Joe Pantoliano as Ben Urich & Eugene Lynden
Similarly, Joe Pantoliano had a tiny role in The Last of Us Season 2, appearing in just one scene in Episode 6, “The Price,” as Eugene, Gail’s (Catherine O’Hara) husband who became infected and was put down by Joel, who refused to bring him home to say goodbye. Pantoliano starred 23 years prior opposite Ben Affleck, Jennifer Garner, and Michael Clarke Duncan as New York Post reporter Ben Urich in 2003’s Daredevil. Urich was portrayed by Vondie Curtis-Hall in Daredevil on Netflix, and his legacy continues in the form of his niece, BB Urich (Genneya Walton), in Daredevil: Born Again.
7) Robert John Burke as Smitty & Seth
Robert John Burke is another actor who has had a minor role in both the MCU and in The Last of Us. He appeared briefly as Navy SEAL Smitty in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, who worked with the CIA to search for vibranium, and was attacked by the Talokanil. He had a larger role in The Last of Us as Seth, a resident of Jackson who, while drunk, insults Ellie and Dina at the New Year’s party with a derogatory slur. Seth later apologises and provides aid to Ellie and Dina before they sneak out on their mission for vengeance.
8) Tony Dalton as Jack Duquesne & Javier Miller
It was great to see some of Joel and Tommy’s backstory explored in a brief flashback in The Last of Us Season 2, Episode 6, “The Price,” as their relationship with their abusive father, Javier (Tony Dalton), was detailed. Javier and Joel’s conversation was one of Season 2’s most touching and heartfelt moments, and Dalton excelled in this role, just as he does as Jack Duquesne, aka the vigilante known as Swordsman, in Hawkeye and Daredevil: Born Again. There are hopes that Duquesne will soon fully embrace his role as a sword-wielding hero in the MCU.
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9) Jeffrey Wright as the Watcher & Isaac
Although he hasn’t yet made a live-action appearance, Jeffrey Wright has been a crucial part of the MCU’s Multiverse Saga, as he provided the voice of Uatu the Watcher in all three seasons of the animated What If…? series. There are hopes that Wright will appear as a live-action version of the Watcher in the MCU’s Phase 6, while his role of Isaac in The Last of Us will also be better developed in Season 3. Isaac was a FEDRA commander who defected to the Washington Liberation Front, and is now at war with the religious group, the Seraphites.
10) Danny Ramirez as Joaquín Torres & Manny
Danny Ramirez’s Joaquín Torres is a relatively new addition to the MCU, but he has quickly become a very important character. First introduced as a US Air Force intelligence officer and ally to Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Torres returned in 2025 as the MCU’s new Falcon in Captain America: Brave New World. The Phase 5 movie teased his inclusion in the roster for Sam Wilson’s upcoming Avengers team, though it remains to be seen which other heroes will be joining the new Captain America and Falcon.
In The Last of Us, Danny Ramirez hasn’t yet had too much to do. He debuted as Manny, a member of Abby’s group in the WLF who is part of the ploy to murder Joel for his actions in Salt Lake City. Manny wanted to also kill Ellie, getting rid of any witnesses, but the group stopped him, ultimately leading to Owen, Nora, and Mel’s deaths. Fans of The Last of Us Part II’s video game will know that Manny is set to have a larger role in The Last of Us Season 3, told from Abby’s perspective.
11) Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards & Joel Miller
Pedro Pascal is one of the most bankable stars in film and TV right now – he seems to pop up in everything. His next major project, however, will be The Fantastic Four: First Steps, where he will be debuting as the MCU’s official Reed Richards, aka Mister Fantastic, the leader of Marvel’s First Family. Pascal was a polarizing choice for Mister Fantastic, but he is a remarkable and talented actor, so there’s no doubt he’ll deliver a tender, intelligent, and fatherly performance as Reed Richards. He could take notes from his role in The Last of Us for that.
Joel Miller was central to the development of The Last of Us Season 1, as he is tasked with getting the immune Ellie across the country to try and seek a cure for the Cordyceps infection. Along the journey, however, Joel and Ellie form a father-daughter bond that informs Joel’s killing spree to save her. Joel was brutally murdered by Abby in The Last of Us Season 2, so it’s unclear if he’ll will return in Season 3, but since Pedro Pascal seems to be everywhere we turn right now, we’ll still have plenty to look forward to.
Who are your favorite actors who have appeared in Marvel’s movies and TV shows and in The Last of Us? Let us know in the comments!
