Naughty Dog has shared an image of the upcoming The Last of Us HBO series as part of the Outbreak Day celebration that showcases Joel and Ellie looking at a plane crash site but what could have caused this incident?

The Last of Us fans finally got a glimpse of the long-awaited HBO series yesterday when Naughty Dog shared an image of Joel and Ellie played by Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal on Outbreak Day. It's the moment many have been looking forward to, although there's still no sign of the much anticipated TLOU2 multiplayer, this gorgeous shot should tide some of us over until more news appears.

Even though the still from the HBO show doesn't show Joel or Ellie's face, we can quickly recognise Joel's infamous plaid shirt alongside Ellie's iconic backpack, especially so due to the winged badge pinned on the front coupled with her three other badges - just like from the game.

What happened to the plane in HBO's The Last of Us?

On closer inspection, we also see a plane crash on the hill in the distance that Joel and Ellie seem to be observing from afar. Although we know the series is set 20 years after modern civilization has been destroyed so a plane in the skies would be pretty unusual, what could have caused the plane to crash in the first place?

You could allow your imagination to run wild with theories because let's face it, this is the post-apocalypse after all, but let's look at some of the most logical ones.

From looking at the hundreds of bits of debris on the ground from the plane, it sure seems that it could have possibly been shot down by a missile. This could have been from civilians planning to escape and, unfortunately, not making it due to a heavy military presence that we saw in the game which kept close tabs on everyone with severe punishments for those who stepped out of line or tried to escape.

Of course, another simpler route could be that Joel and Ellie are looking at the crash site that occurred just as Cordyceps Brain Infection (CBI) overtook the planet which brought everything to a standstill, including all transport and navigation systems. Maybe they are looking for the remains of someone or their belongings? Or maybe they are simply searching for supplies to help them both survive as they traverse across the U.S?

Either way, the plane crash scene does offer an interesting sneak peek into HBO's The Last of Us world which I'm sure will unravel itself more as we build-up to the show's arrival at some point next year.