Could “The Last of Us” Really Happen in Real Life?

We’ve all been captivated (and creeped out) by The Last of Us—the HBO hit based on the cinematic video game that sold over 20 million copies. Season 2 is finally premiering this Sunday on Crave, and with it comes a renewed wave of that age-old question:

Could Cordyceps actually take over humans IRL?

Short answer? Highly unlikely.

Wait… Is Cordyceps Real?

Yup, the terrifying fungus from the show is based on a very real fungus that infects insects, especially ants. Nicknamed the “zombie ant fungus,” Cordyceps infiltrates an insect’s body, takes control of its nervous system, and forces it to climb to an elevated spot before sprouting from its body. Terrifying? Absolutely. Human-apocalypse-worthy? Not quite.

Why It Can’t Jump to Humans (For Now)

According to biological scientists and microbiologists:

• Cordyceps is hyper-specific. It’s evolved to thrive in ants, and its whole lifecycle depends on insect physiology. Humans are very different.
• Body temperature is a big deal. We’re warm-blooded, which creates a hostile environment for fungi like Cordyceps to survive in.
• Human-to-human fungal transmission is rare. Most known fungal diseases don’t spread easily between people, which is why fungal pandemics aren't a thing… yet.

To make that species leap, Cordyceps would need millions of years of evolution (or, you know, a serious lab experiment gone wrong).

RELATED: ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2 Premieres April 13

But Never Say Never?

The scientific community is pretty firm on this being fiction—for now. But if The Last of Us taught us anything, it’s that sometimes the scariest part of science fiction… is how close it can feel to reality. 😬

Catch Season 2 of The Last of Us this Sunday on Crave—just maybe don’t watch it alone in the dark.