The Last of Us Season 2 Casts Kaitlyn Dever as Abby

The Last of Us season 2 has cast Kaitlyn Dever to play Abby.

By Cade Onder

The Last of Us season 2 has found its Abby in actress Kaitlyn Dever. Roughly one year ago, HBO released the first season of The Last of Us and it blew everyone away. The show shattered records for HBO, earned some Emmy nominations, and is currently regarded as one of the best video game adaptations ever told. The show is pretty faithful to the game which is largely revered for its incredible characters. Pedro Pascal expertly portrayed the world-weary Joel Miller and Bella Ramsey brought Ellie to life with her feisty angst, edginess, and emotional core. The two were a really strong duo, but it has also put a lot of pressure on HBO for season 2. The next season is expected to adapt The Last of Us Part II, the critically acclaimed but equally divisive sequel. 

"Our casting process for season two has been identical to season one: we look for world-class actors who embody the souls of the characters in the source material," said The Last of Us showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann. "Nothing matters more than talent, and we're thrilled to have an acclaimed performer like Kaitlyn join Pedro, Bella, and the rest of our family."

The Last of Us Part II's Abby, is one of the most controversial characters in gaming due to some of her actions. This is by design, but it also means that the much larger audience that the TV show has will be tested similar to players and likely result in some blowback. While we won't get into specifics for those who haven't played the game, Abby is a critical piece of The Last of Us Part II and the show will need a young, but talented actress to do her justice. Thankfully, it seems HBO has found one of the best actresses of her generation to bring Abby to life. Booksmart and No One Will Save You actress Kaitlyn Dever will portray Abby in The Last of Us season 2 and likely future seasons as the second game is expected to be adapted into multiple seasons. This was previously rumored, but now we are getting proper confirmation.

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Dever has worked with Naughty Dog before and is likely pretty familiar with The Last of Us already. Kaitlyn Dever was a popular fan cast for Ellie when the game was being adapted into a movie in the 2010s. She even participated in a table read for the film during its development, so she was likely a frontrunner for the part. The actress also played Nathan Drake's daughter, Cassie, in Uncharted 4. It was a small role given she only appears in the game's brief epilogue, but it was an important piece of the game. Whether Cassie will ever return is a mystery, but Dever seems to be a big part of Naughty Dog's history at this point.

When Will The Last of Us Season 2 Release?

The Last of Us season 2 is slated to begin filming at the start of 2024, specifically February 12th, but it will take a while before we get to actually watch it for ourselves. The show is currently slated for a 2025 release window. We have no idea if HBO intends to hit that first quarter window that it did for the first season, but at the very least, we have a general idea of when it will release.

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