The Last of Us Season 2 Reveals First Look at Kaitlyn Dever’s Abby

The Last of Us fans have a lot to look forward to in 2025, HBO and MAX debuted a new sizzle reel tonight revealing footage from upcoming shows that will arrive over the next year or so, including the next batch of episodes from The Last of Us. Though only a handful of shots from The Last of Us season 2 are revealed, among them is the first look at new cast member Kaitlyn Dever as Abby Anderson. Though a slew of set photos and videos have popped up online revealing The Last of Us season 2 characters, this marks the first time The Last of Us fans will have seen Abby Anderson in live-action.

Though only one screen for a split-second, the first footage of Kaitlyn Dever as Abby in The Last of Us season 2 is something fans of The Last of Us Part II video game will immediately recognize. Dever’s version of the character can be seen being pursued by infected, a horde of them pushing onto a fence and toppling it on top of her as she scrambles through the snow. This leads to a major moment in the video game itself which we won’t reveal, but it shows how much of the 2020 video game will make it onto the screen in the second season of HBO’s hit series. 

When news of Kaitlyn Dever’s casting as Abby in The Last of Us season 2 hit, it came with some surprise considering the major physical differences in Abby and Ellie in The Last of Us Part II video game. By contrast, the Booksmart and No One Will Save You star was previously a fan-favorite to play Ellie when the potential of a The Last of Us adaptation was first flirted with by Hollywood. One person that was very excited to see Dever take the role is voice actor and performer Laura Bailey, who voiced and provided the motion capture for Abby in The Last of Us Part II. 

“Huge congrats, Kaitlyn!,” Bailey posted on X back in January. “So excited to see Abby’s evolution in your performance! Let me know if you want a workout buddy. 💪”

Based on previous talk from The Last of Us creators about the TV series it seems very likely that Kaitlyn Dever will portray Abby not only in The Last of Us season 2 but in future seasons. It was previously confirmed that the second game is expected to be adapted into multiple seasons.

“Our focus is the two games,” Neil Druckmann previously told Deadline. “As Craig mentioned, there’s quite a bit of material there that we’re taking our time with, and we’re looking at each piece individually to make sure it’s got its own arc, its own journey that the characters go on, but there is a grander plan that ties all the seasons together.”

Season 2 of HBO’s The Last of Us has been confirmed to be just seven episodes, two shorter than season one’s nine episode total. The shorter episode count for the season will set the stage for potential seasons 3 and 4.