The Last of Us Season 2: Latest News and Updates

The Success of The Last of Us Season 1

The Last of Us season 1 proved to be a hit with Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey providing mesmerizing performances as Joel and Ellie. The chemistry between the two is unique and believable, progressing with each episode as the main characters form a powerful bond in a post-apocalyptic world. Unlike many zombie shows and video-game adaptations alike, The Last of Us invests a lot of time in the drama of its characters, offering compelling character studies that lead up to a memorable (and quite shocking) finale.

Abby, and Joel in The Last of Us copy

The season 1 finale sets up The Last of Us season 2 in many ways, starting with Joel's shocking dilemma where he chose to prioritize Ellie's life over humanity after he discovers the Fireflies plan to kill her in order to create a cure. While Joel kills many people trying to stop him in the hospital, it seems that his actions will have consequences as one Firefly did manage to escape his wrath. Given that The Last of Us II takes place five years in the future, it'll be interesting to see how the writers and showrunners will adapt the source material again for The Last of Us season 2 (especially since the sequel game has more stories to tell).

Joel and Ellie up on the balcony looking at the giraffes in The Last of Us finale

New Cast Member and Confirmed Renewal

The latest news sees a new cast member join The Last of Us season 2, upping the ante even more. It has now been confirmed that Kaitlyn Dever will appear in the second season as Abby Anderson. Abby first appeared in the franchise in The Last of Us II video game, and she is known as a skilled soldier who uses her special set of skills to exact revenge for those that she's lost. Dever is best known for roles in films like Booksmart and shows like Dopesick.

Ellie looking serious in The Last of Us season 1 episode 9

The immediate success of The Last of Us resulted in a quick renewal, and shortly after the show's episode 2 premiere, The Last of Us season 2 was officially renewed by HBO. It looks like there aren't any major changes in the writing room either, as Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann have already begun talking about their plans for season 2 and beyond.

Joel with a hardened expression in The Last of Us

Cast and Story Details

The Last of Us season 2 cast will feature the two returning stars, Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, who proved to be a hit in season 1. Additionally, Gabriel Luna has hinted that he will be returning in season 2 to play Tommy, and it is likely that Rutina Wesley will return as well. The only other confirmed cast member thus far is Kaitlyn Dever who has been cast as Abby Anderson, a violent soldier out for revenge.

The story details reveal that some parts of season 2 will explore the events in-between Part I and Part II. While in the game, Joel's death occurs very early on, he may live quite a bit longer in The Last of Us season 2 in order to explore the new character dynamic. With them also promising to show new deadly Cordyceps variant stages, it's likely that the show's lore will be explored more too. While Druckmann and Mazin may have made a few changes to the source material, it's likely that The Last of Us season 2 will eventually come back or set up the conflict between Abby, Ellie, and Joel.