The Last of Us TV show creator confirms Kaitlyn Dever's Abby will lead season 3: "I was sure [HBO] wouldn't let us do this"

Kaitlyn Dever as Abby in The Last of Us season two
(Image credit: HBO/Sky)

Neil Druckmann has confirmed that Kaitlyn Dever will be the main star of The Last of Us season 3 – which we kind of knew already.

Warning: spoilers for The Last of Us season 2 episode 7 below!

"I think it was good to go on that journey to end up at HBO, end up at a place that leaned into those controversial decisions, I guess," Druckmann said at an Emmys FYC event (via The Hollywood Reporter). "But the decisions are just what the story required, and even now, it’s like I can’t believe that they let us structure the series in this way. Meaning like we just ended season two, and season three is going to be starring – spoiler alert – Kaitlyn."

Fans of The Last of Us Part 2 video game knew this was an inevitability, given that the game forces the player to control both Ellie and Abby. Season 2 covered the first part of Part 2, which is the journey to Seattle from Ellie's perspective. In the final moments of the finale, Abby wakes up elsewhere, and the onscreen text says, "Seattle Day One." This means we'll be seeing the same three days Ellie and Dina spent hunting down Abby, but from Abby's perspective.

Continued Druckmann: "I was sure that they wouldn't let us do this when we started adapting this, 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, and I think the audience really appreciates that."

A fourth season is being planned, and will likely cover the third part of Part 2, which features the ultimate showdown between Abby and Ellie.

The Last of Us season 2 is streaming now on HBO Max in the US, and on Sky and NOW in the UK. For more, check out our The Last of Us season 2 review.

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Lauren Milici
Senior Writer, Tv & Film

Lauren Milici is a Senior Entertainment Writer for GamesRadar+ currently based in the Midwest. She previously reported on breaking news for The Independent's Indy100 and created TV and film listicles for Ranker. Her work has been published in Fandom, Nerdist, Paste Magazine, Vulture, PopSugar, Fangoria, and more.

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