Among the many rumors attached to the highly anticipated game sequel "The Last of Us 2," there is no denying the loudest has been the one claiming Joel is already dead. However, recent reports suggest that the beloved protagonist of the original "The Last of Us" game may be still alive in the game sequel after all.

Shortly after "The Last of Us 2" was announced via a reveal trailer in last December's PlayStation Experience event, rumors about Joel possibly being dead in the game sequel set the Internet on fire. With Joel looking pristine in contrast to the heavily blood-stained Ellie in the trailer, many can't help but suspect that the father-figure Ellie is talking to in the trailer is nothing more than her imagination or Joel's ghost. As Neil Druckmann, writer and director of the upcoming game, revealed "The Last of Us 2" will be about hate, many jumped into the conclusion that Ellie's anger and sworn revenge in the trailer is rooted on the death of Joel in the game.

While there are still those who believe that Joel may, indeed, be dead in "The Last of Us 2," recent reports suggest he may actually be still alive in the upcoming game. The reversal of opinion for some fans came after Ashley Johnson, the voice behind Ellie, posted a photo of her along with Troy Baker, the voice behind Joel on her social media account. As the photo shows the two voice actors are suited for a motion-capture shoot, it is now believed that Joel will still be a part of "The Last of Us 2."

As of this writing, no one outside Naughty Dog really knows how the story of "The Last of Us 2" will pan out. While it is safe to say that Joel will still be part of the game, the amount of exposure that he will have remains unclear. With this, some still suspect that he will eventually die at one point in the game and fuel Ellie's desire for revenge.

However, this can only be confirmed once "The Last of Us 2" arrives, who knows exactly when.