Sorry everyone, but your daymares of living in the world of The Last of Us probably won’t come true anytime soon, as a microbiologist has debunked the “science” that made the show’s zombie virus happen. Unlike other zombie-centric movies and shows, which either see the dead rising out of graves or various different diseases giving dead people a hunger for brains, The Last of Us takes a naturopathic approach to its outbreak. Cordyceps, a real fungus, has mutated and can now infect humans, turning them into biting corpses, and eventually, the dreaded clickers (after their entire bodies have become entrenched in fungus).

Speaking to WIRED, microbiologist Dan Buckley was asked about the zombie virus in The Last of Us and explained how a zombie virus could actually happen. While cordyceps exists in real life, the chances of it ever infecting humans are almost impossible. “The clickers that you saw where the fungus infects people coming out of the person’s head, I wouldn’t worry too much about that unless you’re an insect,” explained Buckley. Cordyceps only affect cold-blooded organisms, like insects and reptiles, as the fungus dies under hot conditions. He explained:

“The Ophiocordyceps fungus infects many different kinds of insects, gets into their brain and then causes these insects to move in such a way that promotes the distribution of the fungus so that more ants will become zombies. But insects are cold-blooded. They’re very different from us. And so I wouldn’t think that this fungus is gonna infect people.”

So, are any zombie movies actually realistic? Well, according to Dan Buckley, movies like 28 Days Later show the most realistic way a zombie outbreak could spread, as its outbreak is based on a real disease. While the “Rage Virus” doesn’t exist, viruses like rabies can cause similar effects on people. However, we have the medicine to prevent outbreaks before we get the chance to walk around a deserted London like Cillian Murphy. Buckley said:

“If I was worried about a zombie infection for people, I would really think about rabies. Rabies is transmitted by bite, and if you are not vaccinated or treated quickly, it basically gets to your brain. it can make you maybe want to bite people. So we kind of do have a zombie infection. We just have really good vaccines for it right now.”

The Last of Us Season 2 Is Coming Soon

We may not get to experience The Last of Us in real life (not that we’d really want to, unless it means getting to meet Pedro Pascal), but we will see HBO’s hit adaptation return to our screens in the near future. Season 2 of the Emmy winning series has wrapped shooting, and was recently confirmed to be releasing in the first half of 2025.

Season 2 sees Bella Ramsay and Pedro Pascal both return to the wasteland. Joining them for the new season are Isabela Merced (playing Dina, Ellie’s best friend), and Kaitlyn Dever (playing Abbie, a violent adversary to Joel and Ellie). No trailer has been released yet. However, fans have had their first look at Season 2 of The Last of Us thanks to a HBO promo teasing their upcoming slate of shows.