Isabela Merced and Pedro Pascal share the screen in The Last of Us Season 2, as Merced plays newcomer Dina while Pascal returns as Joel Miller. However, the pair will do battle at the box office in the U.S. summer, as Merced appears as Kendra Saunders/Hawkgirl in James Gunn’s Superman and Pascal stars as Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic in Matt Shakman’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
At a recent press conference to promote the second season of The Last of Us, Merced spoke about all the franchises she’s been a part of. She also took the time to look straight at Pascal to remind him their upcoming movies are going head to head. “Superman and Fantastic Four… Cool,” she said.
Pascal wasn’t about to let her have all the fun here. “See you this summer,” he shot back. In a jokingly fashion, Merced replied, “Competition. I hate you.”
It’s great to see the banter between the pair, as they both know Superman and The Fantastic Four: First Steps are two of the most anticipated movies of 2025 and will battle each other for box office supremacy in July. Unlike the weird internet trolls, who believe it’s a life or death situation with these movies and you need to pick a side for pride and country, Merced and Pascal had their fun but held no malice toward each other. Maybe that’s a lesson for all the people who claim to love superhero movies but behave like total supervillains online?
In the same conversation, Merced opened up about her interpretation of Dina. “I see Dina as an extension of myself,” she said, “if I were in sort of like an apocalyptic situation, I would try to lighten it up a bit. I think that’s our superpower as humans. We really have the power to shift our perspective and make our own reality. And I think Dina is sort of also Ellie’s compass and light in a way.”
Merced also credited co-showrunner Craig Mazin for shaping Dina’s character. “I think it’s going to be really fun to get to know Dina is more than just like ‘the funny guy,'” she said. “And I think Craig does a great job of well-rounding his characters like that.”
Catch Isabela Merced and Pedro Pascal in The Last of Us Season 2, which debuts on April 13, then watch them clash at the box office in Superman and The Fantastic Four: First Steps in July.
The Last of Us Season 2 premieres on M-Net on Monday, 14 April (Express from the US) and will also be available on Showmax.
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