At a recent Emmys FYC event celebrating the second season of The Last of Us, co-creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann confirmed what many fans had long speculated — Season 3 will officially shift its focus to Kaitlyn Dever’s Abby, effectively replacing Bella Ramsey’s Ellie as the central figure of the show. And if that sounds like a huge gamble, you’re not wrong, but that’s what makes The Last of Us such an unexpected whirlwind of a story.
Speaking after a screening of Season 2, Episode 2, Druckmann laid out the bold path ahead, revealing: “We just ended Season 2, and Season 3 is going to be starring — spoiler alert — Kaitlyn.” Dever, who appeared virtually from Australia due to another filming commitment, played along with the announcement: “What?!”
“I was sure that they wouldn’t let us do this when we started adapting this,” Druckmann admitted. “But they’ve leaned into what makes, I believe, the story special. And allowed us not only the time but the creative freedom to be able to take these swings.”
That moment — half a joke, half a bombshell — cemented what fans of the game already know: Abby’s story is next. And with Joel (played by Pedro Pascal, who is not dead, despite what fans continually say to Mazin and Druckmann) already gone, the spotlight turning toward his killer was always inevitable. Dever, who made her debut this season as Abby — the complex, divisive character from The Last of Us Part II — said she’s been nothing but supported by the creative team.
“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.”
Will Bella Ramsey Be In ‘The Last of Us’ Season 3?
As for Bella Ramsey, they were part of the FYC panel too, joining Dever, Isabela Merced, Gabriel Luna, and Young Mazino. But with the narrative torch officially passed, their role in Season 3 is now one of the big unanswered questions. Will Ellie return in a reduced capacity? Or will her chapter close entirely as Abby’s story unfolds? Well, Ramsey has stated previously that they will be back but they expect they will have a much reduced role, given that the two don’t cross paths until the moment that concluded Season 2. For now, all we know is that their stories are heading into uncharted — and possibly stormy — waters.
The Last of Us streams now on HBO Max.
- Release Date
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January 15, 2023
- Network
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HBO
- Showrunner
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Craig Mazin
- Directors
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Craig Mazin, Peter Hoar, Jeremy Webb, Ali Abbasi, Mark Mylod, Stephen Williams, Jasmila Žbanić, Liza Johnson, Nina Lopez-Corrado
- Writers
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Neil Druckmann, Craig Mazin
Source: THR
