Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey will return for a second season of HBO’s The Last of Us, which adapts the successful video game franchise.

The Last of Us season 2 is on its way after the action-packed first chapter of HBO’s video game adaptation. Season 1 of HBO’s The Last of Us proved to be a hit after Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey provided mesmerizing performances as Joel and Ellie — and there was very little doubt The Last of Us season 2 would be confirmed. The chemistry between the two is unique and believable, progressing with each episode as the main characters form a powerful bond in a post-apocalyptic world. Unlike many zombie shows and video-game adaptations alike, The Last of Us invests a lot of time in the drama of its characters, offering compelling character studies that lead up to a memorable (and quite shocking) finale.

The season 1 finale sets up The Last of Us season 2 in many ways, starting with Joel’s shocking dilemma where he chose to prioritize Ellie’s life over humanity after he discovers the Fireflies plan to kill her in order to create a cure. While Joel kills many people trying to stop him in the hospital, it seems that his actions will have consequences as one Firefly did manage to escape his wrath. Given that the Last of Us II takes place five years in the future, it’ll be interesting to see how the writers and showrunners will adapt the source material again for The Last of Us season 2 (especially since the sequel game has more stories to tell).

The Last Of Us Already Has A Story Problem For Season 2 & Beyond

HBO’s smash hit series, The Last of Us, already has a potential story problem for season 2 and possibly the rest of the series beyond.

The Last Of Us Season 2 Latest News

Filming Start Date Is Confirmed

Producer Craig Mazin has now revealed that filming for The Last Of Us Season 2 is set to start on February 12, 2024. This is positive news for the show, following the resolution of the SAG/AFTRA strikes, but a release date is likely still very far off. The first season filmed from July 2021 to June 2022, with further shoots in October, before being released in January 2023. If the new season takes a similar amount of time to produce, it won’t be hitting screens until 2025 at the earliest.

The Last Of Us Season 2 Is Confirmed

The Last of Us‘ immediate success couldn’t have pointed at a different outcome: shortly after the show’s episode 2 premiere, The Last of Us season 2 was officially renewed by HBO. It looks like there aren’t any major changes in the writing room either, as Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann have already begun talking about their plans for season 2 and beyond.

The Last Of Us Season 2 Cast

The Last of Us season 2 cast will feature the two returning stars. After they proved to be a hit, both Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey are back following their respective Emmy nominations. While there had been questions around whether Ramsey could be recast due to the five-year jump that occurs in The Last of Us Part II, Mazin quickly dispelled these rumors in early The Last of Us season 2 news, stating that they were continuing to plan season 2 with Ramsey in mind (via Deadline). With Joel and Ellie also returning to Jackson at the end of The Last of Us, Gabriel Luna has also hinted that he will be returning in season 2 to play Tommy. As he is married to Maria, it is likely that Rutina Wesley will return as well.

With many more stories told in The Last of Us Part II, Mazin and Dreckmann will also introduce some new (and important faces) to season 2. One key detail for The Last of Us season 2, at least as far as those who know the games have been concerned, is the casting of a specific character from the second game — Abby. Abby was both an antagonist and playable character in The Last of Us Part II, and as such there’s been a great deal of speculation when it comes to who will play Abby in The Last of Us season 2. The actor playing Abby still hasn’t been publicly announced, but The Last of Us creator Craig Mazin did provide an update in September 2023. According to Mazin, Abby has already been cast in The Last of Us season 2, but exactly who’s been selected to bring the brutal villain to live in live-action is a closely guarded secret.

With her already making a brief cameo in episode 6 of The Last of Us, Dina may also make an appearance — although who will play her is still up for debate.

As several The Last of Us voice actors, including Ashley Johnson, Troy Baker, Merle Dandrige, Jeffrey Pierce, and Laura Bailey, all made brief appearances in the live-action version as well (mainly cast in minor or supporting roles), there is a chance that a few other voice actors from the game could appear in future episodes too. Patrick Fugit who played Edgar in The Last of Us II admitted he would want to join the show but as a different character while Emily Swallow, who played Emily, also expressed a desire to appear.

6 Crucial New Characters To Expect In The Last Of Us Season 2

The Lsat of Us season 2 will include several new characters, and there are a few crucial people from Last of Us Part II that are expected to join.

The Last Of Us Season 2 Story Details

The Last of Us season 2 story details reveal that some parts of season 2 will explore the events in-between Part I and Part II, there is a possibility that viewers will see what happens to Joel and Ellie’s relationship in the aftermath of Episode 9 and their changing dynamics. While in the game, Joel’s death occurs very early on, he may live quite a bit longer in The Last of Us season 2 in order to explore the new character dynamic. With them also promising to show new deadly Cordyceps variant stages, it’s likely that the show’s lore will be explored more too. While Druckmann and Mazin may have made a few changes to the source material, it’s likely that The Last of Us season 2 will eventually come back or set up the conflict between Abby, Ellie, and Joel.

While on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Mazin did put to bed one rumor about a season 2 character. Fans thought that Abby, still to be cast for The Last Of Us season 2, made a cameo as a Firefly in the hospital at the end of the season because of her braided hair back in a ponytail. Mazin responded to that particular fan theory with, “I can confirm that she was not. That was just one of the Fireflies that happened to have a ponytail. A lot of people have ponytails, so that was not Abby.”