Is Maisie Williams a good choice to Play Ellie in The Last of Us HBO series?

When the news broke of an HBO series adaptation of The Last of Us, the gaming community lost their collective minds.

It was helped by the fact the co-director of The Last of Us, Neil Druckmann, would be working along with Craig Mazin, creator of the critically-acclaimed Chernobyl, to develop the HBO series. Both Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin have proved their mettle in their respective fields, with Neil Druckmann rising to rockstar level of video game directors with The Last of Us and Uncharted 4.

Chernobyl was easily HBO's most critically acclaimed drama that was not Game of Thrones and was a top contender for the Best Show of the Year. Craig Mazin has proved that he is excellent at setting a grim atmosphere that weighs down on the characters and the viewer, which is just the kind of tone The Last of Us needs.

However, there hasn't been much news regarding the HBO series, we are far away from a cast being announced but that hasn't stopped the internet from speculating.

Maisie Williams as Ellie in the Last of Us HBO Series?

Maisie Williams as Arya Stark in Game of Thrones

One name that has been doing the rounds for the role of Ellie in the Last of Us HBO series has been Arya Stark herself, Maisie Williams.

Maisie Williams made a name for herself by playing Arya Stark in the global TV phenomenon: Game of Thrones.

The character of Arya Stark was a beloved one from the books, and playing the role came with a lot of pressure, but the then-much younger Maisie Williams hit it out of the park.

Arya instantly became a fan-favourite and Maisie Williams received a tonne of acclaim and accolades for her brilliant portrayal of the feisty teenager. Seeing as Maisie Williams did not have much problem playing a feisty teenager with a positive attitude in a grim world, perhaps she might hit it out of the park with Ellie in The Last of Us HBO series again.

However, there are several other factors that fans must weigh before they declare Maisie Williams as the perfect choice. Here we look at some of the pros and cons of Maisie Williams as Ellie.

Pros of Maisie Williams as Ellie

Maisie Williams as Arya Stark

1) Maisie Williams is a seasoned actor who is used to playing big roles with a lot of expectation attached to them.

2) Ellie is an extremely likeable character and someone who is extremely capable. Maisie Williams can play likable characters who are just as capable as is evidenced by her performance in Game of Thrones.

3) If the show chooses to go for a slightly older version of the character in the HBO series rather than the first game's 14-year-old version, Maisie William's would fit perfectly.

Cons of Maisie Williams as Ellie

Ellie in The Last of Us

1) The obvious con of Maisie Williams as Ellie is certainly her age. Although she is still only 23 at this point, Ellie was only 14 in the first Last of Us and 19 in the next game.

2) Her iconic portrayal of Arya Stark will be hard for fans to shake off while watching her as Ellie, as they might make constant comparisons between the two badass characters.

3) The Last of Us is set in the United States, and both Ellie and Joel are American characters. Maisie Williams' American accent was called into question with "The Book of Love", a movie where she played an American.

However, there is nothing that suggests Maisie Williams cannot do an American accent convincingly as several British actors have perfected the American accent such as Daniel Radcliffe and Idris Elba.