‘The Last of Us’ Season 3 Adds John Goodman, Laura Bailey & Ian Alexander to Growing Cast

The Last of Us

The Ultimate Survival Story

$14.99

Buy Now

The Last of Us Season 3 is becoming more real with each passing day as HBO unveils additional casting in celebration of The Last of Us Day. In the latest announcement for the post-apocalyptic drama, the show is turning to video game performers to fill in the latest roles.

While viewers saw Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie’s (Bella Ramsey) journey together come to a heartbreaking conclusion in Season 2, Ellie’s story continued as she sought revenge for his death. But after some seriously shocking revelations at the end of Season 2, what could possibly be next? Below, we’re breaking down everything you need to know about The Last of Us Season 3 so far, including updates about the story, more casting reveals, changes behind the scenes, and so much more. Scroll down for a closer look at what’s to come, along with some need-to-know details, and stay tuned for more on The Last of Us Season 3 at HBO.

When will The Last of Us Season 3 premiere?

No premiere date has been announced by HBO, but exec Casey Bloys teased to Deadline in September 2026 that Season 3 is anticipated to arrive in 2027 with an exact date yet to be revealed.

What will The Last of Us Season 3 be about?

As viewers who tuned into Season 2 will remember, Ellie’s fate was left uncertain after Abby (Kaitlyn Dever) surprised her at the theater in Seattle, where she, Dina (Isabela Merced), Tommy (Gabriel Luna), and Jesse (Young Mazino) had taken shelter. Abby had [Spoiler] shot Jesse dead and turned the gun toward Ellie as she retaliated for her friends’ own deaths.

In the final minutes of Season 2, a perspective shift was teased, hinting that viewers would see missing parts of the story from Abby’s side, and series creator Neil Druckmann teased as much during an FYC panel, according to The Hollywood Reporter, as he told fans, “I can’t believe that they let us structure the series in this way. Meaning like we just ended Season 2, and Season 3 is going to be starring — spoiler alert — Kaitlyn.”

In other words, the action will shift focus from Ellie to Abby, which is the show’s biggest change yet after Season 1, which followed Ellie’s journey with Joel until Season 2’s fateful death of the father figure. “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,” Druckmann continued regarding HBO’s willingness to lean into big changes. “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.”

No official logline has been released for Season 3 yet, but stay tuned for additional details.

HBO

What has been said about The Last of Us Season 3?

Upon the show’s renewal, HBO’s executive vice president of programming, Francesca Orsi, said, “It can’t be overemphasized how proud HBO is for the outstanding achievement we believe the second season of The Last of Us is. Craig, Neil, Carolyn, and the entire executive producer team, cast, and crew have delivered a masterful follow-up, and we’re thrilled to carry the power of Craig and Neil’s storytelling into what we know will be an equally moving and extraordinary third season.”

Series co-creator, executive producer, writer, and director Craig Mazin said, “We approached Season 2 with the goal of creating something we could be proud of. The end results have exceeded even our most ambitious goals, thanks to our continued collaboration with HBO and the impeccable work of our unparalleled cast and crew. We look forward to continuing the story of The Last of Us with Season 3!”

Neil Druckmann, fellow creator, executive producer, writer, and director, added, “To see The Last of Us brought to life so beautifully and faithfully has been a career highlight for me, and I am grateful for the fans’ enthusiastic and overwhelming support. Much of that success is thanks to my partner in crime, Craig Mazin, our partnership with HBO, and our team at PlayStation Productions. On behalf of everyone at Naughty Dog, our cast and crew, thank you so much for allowing us this opportunity. We’re thrilled to bring you more of The Last of Us !”

Related

TV Review: 'The Last of Us' Season 2

Who stars in The Last of Us Season 3?

As mentioned above, Dever will be back as Abby, but no other official casting confirmations or information have been announced at this time. Still, we anticipate the possible returns of Gabriel Luna as Tommy, Rutina Wesley as Maria, Merced as Dina, and Jeffrey Wright as Isaac. Meanwhile, it’s been confirmed by Deadline that Danny Ramirez‘s role as Manny will be taken over by Jorge Lendeborg Jr., and Clea DuVall will join the series as a seraphite.

Additionally, Deadline confirmed that Ariela Barer‘s Mel, Tati Gabrielle‘s Nora, and Spencer Lord‘s Owen will continue to play a role in the series despite their deaths in Season 2. They’ll appear in a series regular capacity as well. Whether or not Season 2’s other casualties, Pascal and Mazino, will return remains to be seen. For now, it has been announced that Patrick Wilson and Jason Ritter are joining The Last of Us for Season 3.

While some fans may recall that Ritter played a clicker in Season 1 when his real-life wife, Melanie Lynskey, starred as Kathleen, this time around, he’ll play Hanley, a WLF soldier. Meanwhile, Wilson is slated to portray Jerry, the father of Abby, who was slain by Joel.

It has since been announced that John Goodman, Ian Alexander, and Laura Bailey will join the series for Season 3. Goodman will portray Joey and Alexander will play Paco, making up a friendly duo who call themselves “Heroes of the Highway.” Meanwhile, Bailey is going to step into the shoes of Elizabeth, one of the leaders of hte religious sect known as the Seraphites. Fans of The Last of Us: Part II video game will recognize Alexander and Bailey from their roles as Lev and Abby. Additionally, Bailey previously appeared in Season 1’s finale as a nurse.

Who is behind The Last of Us? 

The Last of Us is based on the best-selling video games that were developed at Naughty Dog by writer Neil Druckmann and game director Bruce Straley. Druckmann then co-created the HBO series with Craig Mazin. On July 2, 2025, Druckmann announced via Instagram that he was leaving the production before Season 3 took root:

“I’ve made the difficult decision to step away from my creative involvement in The Last of Us on HBO. With work completed on season 2 and before any meaningful work starts on season 3, now is the right time for me to transition my complete focus to Naughty Dog and its future projects, including writing and directing our exciting next game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, along with my responsibilities as Studio Head and Head of Creative.”

“Co-creating the show has been a career highlight,” he continued. “It’s been an honor to work alongside Craig Mazin to executive produce, direct and write on the last two seasons. I’m deeply thankful for the thoughtful approach and dedication the talented cast and crew took to adapting The Last of Us Part I and the continued adaptation of The Last of Us Part II.”

The Last of Us, Season 3 Premiere, 2027, HBO and HBO Max