[Editor’s note: The following story contains spoilers for “The Last of Us” Season 2.]
It’s Abby’s turn now: Kaitlyn Dever is confirmed to be the lead star of “The Last of Us” Season 3, as co-creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann said during an Emmys FYC event attended by IndieWire.
While this is no surprise to fans of the video games, the series adaptation is now following suit. Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal previously were co-leads of the first season; Ramsey stepped into a solo leading role after Pascal’s character Joel met his demise by the hands (well, feet) of Dever’s Abby.
“I’ve been involved with several failed adaptations, both for ‘Uncharted’ and ‘The Last of Us,’” Druckman said. “And I think it was good to go on that journey, to end up at HBO and end up at a place that leaned into those controversial decisions, I guess. But those decisions are just the story require that, even now I talk about it, it’s like I can’t believe that they let us structure the series in this way, meaning that we just ended Season 2, and Season 3 is going to be starring—spoiler alert—Kaitlyn.”
Druckmann added that he was skeptical that HBO would greenlit the POV switch for Season 3. Narratively, the “Last of Us” video game shifts to Abby’s perspective after the Season 2 series events occur.
“I was sure that they wouldn’t let us do this when we started adapting this, but they’ve leaned into what makes, I believe, the story special,” Druckmann said. “And allowed us not only the time but the creative freedom to be able to take these swings, and I think the audience really appreciates that.”
Dever shared her own excitement about expanding Abby’s story onscreen. “[It] makes me so happy to be a part of this family and to get to look forward to the journey we have ahead too,” Dever said, adding that “the controversy surrounding Abby was never really a concern for me, just given my first meeting with Craig and Neil and how wonderful they are and how talented they are. Getting on set, I’ve never felt so carried on a set in my life.”
“The Last of Us” was renewed for Season 3 in April 2025. Mazin previously confirmed that Season 3 will be “significantly larger” in scope. The co-showrunners are planning for at least four seasons, as Mazin told Deadline in 2024.
Reporting by Marcus Jones.
