Kaitlyn Dever’s Abby Becomes the Focus in 'The Last of Us' Season 3

Kaitlyn Dever will take center stage in Season 3 of HBO’s The Last of Us, as confirmed by co-creator Neil Druckmann at a recent FYC panel. Dever steps into the role of Abby, who became a major talking point in Season 2 after (SPOILER ALERT) the character killed Joel (Pedro Pascal) early in the season.

When asked about the reaction to Abby, Dever said, “I guess the controversy surrounding Abby was never really a concern for me, just given my first meeting with Craig and Neil and how wonderful they are and how talented they are.” She also shared that working on the show has been one of her best experiences as an actor, describing the set as a real team effort.

Season 3 will shift focus from Ellie (played by Bella Ramsey) to Abby, following the story structure seen in the video game. Co-creator Craig Mazin explained that Joel’s storyline was chosen for thematic reasons, saying, “This is not a show about revenge. It’s a show about grief.”

The panel, moderated by Rob McElhenney, also included Bella Ramsey, Gabriel Luna, Isabela Merced, and Young Mazino, who talked about how they built their characters for the new season.