HBO is making some major changes to its The Last of Us TV show adaptation in Season 3. The post-apocalyptic drama starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey is based on Naughty Dog's hit video game franchise, with Seasons 2 and 3 adapting the PlayStation 4 title The Last of Us Part II. HBO has opted to split The Last of Us Part 2 across two seasons, with a season dedicated to Ellie (Ramsey) and Abby's (Kaitlyn Dever) stories.
While HBO's The Last of Us has typically stayed close to the source material, the show has branched out in significant ways throughout its run, often through its casting choices. Season 1 featured expanded roles for Bill (Nick Offerman) and his partner Frank (Murray Bartlett), who received a standout episode despite having minimal screen time in the game. Season 2 introduced Catherine O'Hara as a completely new character, Gail, a therapist in Jackson. That trend continues into Season 3, which will shake up the latter half of The Last of Us Part 2's story with changes from the source material.
One of the casting changes in The Last of Us Season 3 is the addition of Li Jun Li (last seen in Amazon's Spider-Noir) as Miriam, the mother of the young Seraphites, Yara (Michelle Mao) and Lev (Kyriana Kratter). The Seraphites are a major religious faction in the franchise that occupies Seattle, known for the curved scars they carve into their cheeks (which earns them the nickname "Scars").
Yara and Lev play notable roles in Abby's half of The Last of Us Part 2's story, and while their relationship with their mother is pivotal, she is never named and has no speaking parts in the game. Casting a notable actress such as Li and giving her a named role all but confirms that Miriam will have a larger role to play in The Last of Us Season 3, indicating the series may spend more time with the Seraphites.
That theory is only supported by other recent casting announcements for The Last of Us, such as Clea DuVall, who is joining as an unknown Seraphite, and Peter Sarsgaard, who, according to Deadline, has been cast as one of the Seraphite's leaders, Amon. Theories suggest that DuVall could play Emily, the Seraphite who captures and tortures Abby in the second half. In Sarsgaard's case, he'll be playing a new character created for the show.
An expected casting for The Last of Us Season 3 was the role of Abby's father, Jerry Anderson, who will be played by Patrick Wilson in the adaptation. Jerry is the instigator for Abby's revenge quest after Joel murdered him at the Firefly hospital, and she's shown in Abby's flashbacks during the game. However, Wilson has been cast in a recurring role as Jerry, suggesting the series may expand his role.
Jason Ritter will also join the cast of Season 3, after having had a secret role as one of the infected in Season 1 of The Last of Us. This time, Ritter has a more prominent part, playing a new character named Hanley, one of the Washington Liberation Front Soldiers. The Washington Liberation Front (WLF, the other dominant faction in Seattle) is largely seen through the eyes of Abby and her crew, Owen (Spencer Lord), Nora (Tati Gabrielle), and Mel (Ariela Barer), but the addition of Hanley may give more insight into the militia.
The last, and perhaps most significant, change that The Last of Us Season 3 is making with its cast is a complete recast of Manny. After Danny Ramirez played the WLF soldier and Abby's colleague in Season 2, Jorge Lendeborg Jr. is taking over the role for Season 3.
Ramirez is a cast member of major Marvel productions, Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, but scheduling conflicts appear to have kept him from reprising his role in The Last of Us. After brief appearances in The Last of Us Season 2, Manny's role is significantly increased in Abby's half of the story, meaning audiences will see more of Lendeborg Jr. as Manny than they did of Ramirez.
The Last of Us Season 3 is expected to be the final season, with production on the upcoming episodes currently underway. The series is created by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, with additional cast including Isabela Merced, Jeffrey Wright, Gabriel Luna, and Young Mazino.
How The Last of Us Season 3’s Casting Choices Could Alter the Game’s Story
The recent casting announcements for The Last of Us Season 3 paint a picture of how the HBO show may change and expand upon The Last of Us Part 2.
One of the main areas the series seems to be delving further into is the Seraphites. Much of Season 2 of The Last of Us focused on Ellie and Dina being thrown into a turf war between the WLF and Seraphites, but with Ellie's focus being on Abby and the WLF, the Seraphites were background players.
In Abby's half of the story, the Seraphites play a much more significant role thanks to Yara and Lev's involvement, so it makes sense that the show would explore them further here. In particular, it seems The Last of Us Season 3 may offer more insight into Yara and Lev's backstory, with Li Jun Li cast as their mother. This means their relationship with her could be shown through flashbacks, or that she plays a bigger role in the island sequence.
The addition of Sarsgaard playing a new Seraphite leader also adds to the theory that there will be more Seraphite-focused storylines in Season 3. Fans have long wanted to know more about the Seraphite's mysterious Prophet, the founder of the religious group who died before the game begins; HBO's The Last of Us may have the chance to provide that through a character like Sarsgaard's.
