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Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Last of Us Part 2 game.
The news is out: we finally have our live-action Abby Anderson. Booksmart’s Kaitlyn Dever will be busy practicing her golf swing as she steps into the role for The Last of Us season 2 – and, boy, has the discourse started.
Reactions have ranged from outrage at her physical differences to the game character to delight from those familiar with Dever's filmography – and to be honest, such a response was inevitable. Abby, who is the playable co-protagonist in The Last of Us Part 2 game, is a huge part of the story going forward.
In fact, she’s such a big deal that interest in her casting began almost as soon as the adaptation announcement was made. A former member of the Fireflies, we first meet her on a hellbent mission of revenge. Given that her targets are the most beloved characters of this story, some were always going to have big thoughts on who played her.
But while with all adaptations, a lot of judgment needs to be held until we actually see her on screen, I can’t help but think showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann’s casting choice is a masterstroke – and it’s all down to Dever’s past projects.
Morally gray
What’s most striking about Dever’s work so far is how endlessly endearing on screen she is. Whether it’s her charming performance in Booksmart, her turn as a romantic lead in Rosaline, or her heartbreaking role in Netflix’s Unbelievable, she gets you to root for every character she embodies. This is exactly the approach that’s needed to bring the deeply, deeply complicated role of Abby to the screen.
Speak to anyone who’s played The Last of Us Part 2, and they’ll have strong opinions on Abby. Introduced in the second game right from the beginning, you’re thrown into her shoes as she heads on her mission of revenge. It’s not immediately clear what’s driving this and what her purpose is, but as her path is drawn towards Joel, players are taken on a real rollercoaster of emotions.
If you’re like me, you’ll start in a place of hatred too. Abby is responsible for killing my favorite character: Joel. Gruff, fatherly, brutal Joel, who I spent hours and hours inhabiting, is brutally murdered at Abby’s hands – Abby’s hands that I’ve just had to play in… It’s a horrifying twist on the part of the game creators, but one with an incredible payoff as you go deeper into Part 2.
From there, as her storyline is intertwined with Ellie's, it took me from disgust to sympathy at her motivations, right through to relatability as it reached its tense conclusion. How the story unravels her past is incredible and in the end, you’re left realizing there are no villains here, just complicated human emotions and deeply painful choices.
Unconventional choices
To embody all of that, you need an actor with the presence to take you along with them at any moment. For me, Dever is just that. Prior to her casting, any moment she was mentioned in line with a project always brought out the same response from me: 'Oh I love her!' (often accompanied by a sermon about why everyone needs to watch Booksmart). I’ve watched countless films on the premise that she’s in them, knowing her comedic timing, open emotion, and charm will get me invested.
Bringing Dever to The Last of Us is a stroke of genius. Abby is arguably one of the most hated parts in the early section of the second story, but can you imagine hating one of Dever’s characters? This isn’t to say that she’s not capable as an actor of adaptability and versatility – just watch No One Will Save You to quell that notion. It’s actually saying the opposite: Dever always finds humanity in her roles.
Abby won’t be at any risk of becoming a one-dimensional evil character in The Last of Us season 2, just as she wasn’t in the game. You’ll be forced to understand her motivations, whether you think they’re misguided or not, and confront your own prejudices about who should or shouldn’t be allowed to live.
So look, I get it: she’s not the musclebound actor you thought might be cast. And while I do understand the argument that female characters like that are few and far between on screen, it’s time to look past just the physical. Characterization on that level is skin-deep, and I’m sure the creators have plenty of plans to make her faithful to the version many are familiar with.
If nothing else, have some faith in Mazin and Druckmann’s vision. Their approach to The Last of Us so far has been nothing short of astonishing, and given how perfectly cast Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal were, the next stage of this story is in very good hands.
For more, check out all of the new TV shows coming in 2024 and our guide to the best TV shows of all time.
