In The Last of Us Remastered's commentary with director Neil Druckmann, he stated that Jeffrey Pierce originally auditioned for the role of Joel, which ultimately ended up being given to Troy Baker instead. When the team began finding someone to cast as Tommy, they called Pierce back in and were impressed with his performance, landing him the role of Tommy. Baker stated that he felt a chemistry between himself and Pierce that made for a sense of realism in Joel and Tommy's relationship.

Druckmann also stated that Ashley Scott was originally intended to play Tess instead of Maria, and that there were no auditions for either of those characters.