In 2025, Max subscribers will be treated to one of the most anticipated shows of the year – season 2 of The Last of Us. After a wild first season, we’ve all been wondering what’s next for Ellie, Joel, and their friends trying to survive in a world overrun by monsters.
The series’ second season, based on the game The Last of Us Part II, will take viewers deeper into the horrors of post-apocalyptic reality. It will also introduce many new characters. In the trailers promoting the show, you can spot, for example, Jeffrey Wright’s Isaac, Kaitlyn Dever’s Abby and Isabela Merced’s Dina. Of course, there are some appearances from the horrific infected as well.
If you’re one of the fans who want to know more about what’s in store, we have everything you need to know about the expanding cast, plot, and potential release date.
When could The Last of Us season 2 be released?
According to the latest spot released by HBO, the series will return in April 2025.
HBO ordered a second season of The Last of Us in January 2023 after the series’ huge debut.
Warner Bros.
Who is starring in The Last of Us season 2?
Some spoilers for The Last of Us Part II below
Fans of Bella Ramsay and Pedro Pascal can rest easy, as the former confirmed on Twitter that the dynamic duo will be returning for season 2.
In The Last of Us Part II, we also have appearances from Joel’s brother Tommy, so we expect Gabriel Luna to return. The same goes for his partner, Maria Miller, played by Rutina Wesley.
One of the most important characters in the second game is Abby, and fans have long speculated on who could play her. Many suspected it would be The Wilds star Shannon Berry, as she strongly resembles the character.
HBO has now confirmed that Abby will be played by Kaitlyn Dever, who has starred in such series as Last Man Standing and Dopesick and also appeared in the films Rosaline and Next Goal Wins. Interestingly, Dever was once typecast for the role of Ellie by game fans.
Here is the official description of Abby, which was shared in The Hollywood Reporter:
Abby is a skilled soldier whose black-and-white view of the world is challenged as she seeks vengeance for those she loved.
Young Mazino, whom you may know from the Netflix series The Beef, has also joined the cast of The Last of Us season 2. The actor will play the role of Jesse, a boy with an essential role in the community where Ellie resides.
Isabela Merced will portray Dina, Ellie’s love interest and Jesse’s ex. You may remember the actress from Sicario 2: Soldado or Rosaline.
The creators described Dina as warm, brilliant, wild, funny, moral, dangerous and instantly lovable. She is a free-wheeling spirit whose devotion to Ellie will be tested by the brutality of the world they inhabit.
Catherine O’Hara, known for Beetlejuice or Home Alone, has joined the cast. According to rumours, the actress will play a mysterious prophet of the Seraphite cult, which has spread its influence in the Seattle area.
One of the most significant additions to the cast is Jeffrey Wright, who you may know from Westworld, The Batman and No Time to Die.
The actor will play Isaac, the influential leader of the Washington Liberation Front, a large military group. Wright is no stranger to this universe – he voiced Isaac in The Last of Us Part II game.
Season 2 will also feature:
- Danny Ramirez – Manny, a loyal soldier
- Ariela Barer – Mel, a young doctor
- Tati Gabrielle – Nora, a military medic
- Spencer Lord – Owen, a warrior
Behind the scenes, we expect that the co-creator and director of the games, Neil Druckmann, will be back along with Craig Mazin, the creator of Chernobyl.
What will the plot of The Last of Us season 2 be?
This season will cover the events of the sequel game, The Last of Us Part II.
Here’s the official description of the second instalment:
After five years of peace following the events of the first season, Joel and Ellie’s collective past catches up to them, drawing them into conflict with each other and a world even more dangerous and unpredictable than the one they left behind.
Fans are in luck, as this game’s story will allegedly be split across multiple seasons, as confirmed by the showrunners Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin to GQ. However, we don’t know how many more there will be.
While season 2 of The Last of Us will cover the events of the second game, it may also fill in some gaps that weren’t explored in-depth in the original source material (just like the heart-wrenching third episode of season 1 – we’ve still not recovered).
Craig Mazin confirmed the following to EW:
Sometimes it will be different radically, and sometimes it will be [barely] different at all. But it’s going to be different and it will be its own thing. It won’t be exactly like the game.
We won’t go too into game spoilers here, but there is a five-year time jump in which Ellie ages from 14 to 19. The latter is closer to Bella Ramsay’s actual age, which makes for perfect timing with filming.
During that time some flashbacks show what happened between Joel and Ellie – so it is likely that the TV series may expand on these more.
Warner Bros.
We could see whether Ellie finds out if Joel lied when he swore to her that he was telling the truth about her immunity. We may also see a potential budding romance with Dina, who may have had a cameo in season 1 already.
Flashbacks aside, The Last of Us Part II returns to Jackson Wyoming, and follows Ellie as she reaps the consequences of Joel’s murderous rampage in the hospital to save her from being operated on for a cure to cordyceps.
Like the events of the first story, fans can expect visceral violence, more heartbreak, and a whole host of twists and turns.
Is there a trailer for The Last of Us season 2?
Here’s the first official trailer for the show’s second instalment:
The second trailer introduces the infamous Abby character and sheds some light on the season 2 premiere date:
How to watch The Last of Us TV series
In the US, the first season of The Last of Us is available on HBO TV channels, and on the flexible streaming service Max. This costs $9.99 per month for ad-supported viewing, and either $16.99 per month or $20.99 per month for ad-free streaming depending on what package you opt for.
The UK doesn’t yet have HBO, but the show was syndicated on Sky Atlantic and Now, as other HBO productions have. Now’s Entertainment membership costs £9.99 per month.
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