HBO's The Last of Us has finally unveiled its Abby and it's Kaitlyn Dever, the actor known for her roles in Booksmart, No One Will Save You, and that other Naughty Dog game you may have heard of, Uncharted 4.
"Our casting process for season two has been identical to season one: we look for world-class actors who embody the souls of the characters in the source material," series co-creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann told Variety. "Nothing matters more than talent, and we’re thrilled to have an acclaimed performer like Kaitlyn join Pedro, Bella and the rest of our family."
Season two of The Last of Us is expected to follow the events of The Last of Us 2, which is set five years after The Last of Us and features Abby in a pivotal role—sorry, no spoilers. How closely it will follow the exact story beats of The Last of Us 2 remains to be seen, however: The narrative of the first season sometimes varied from the story told in the game, perhaps most notably in its examination of the relationship between supporting characters Bill and Frank (for which actor Nick Offerman won an Emmy Award, by the way). Mazin said in March 2023 that the second season will chart a similar course.
"Sometimes it will be different radically, and sometimes it will be [barely] different at all," Mazin said at the time. "But it's going to be different and it will be its own thing. It won't be exactly like the game. It will be the show that Neil and I want to make."
HBO described Abby as "a skilled soldier whose black-and-white view of the world is challenged as she seeks vengeance for those she loved," an apt if somewhat understated summation. But among fans of The Last of Us, the character is divisive. Many, as seen in this Reddit thread, appreciate her as complex, flawed, and ultimately very human, but a small, vocal handful took issue with her physical appearance and behavior—she's a very buff, muscular, take-no-shit woman—as well as her actions in the game. Again, no spoilers, but suffice it to say that she hasn't endeared herself to everyone by the time it's over.
Welcome to the TLoU fam, @KaitlynDever! Stoked to collaborate with you again! 🔨🐺 https://t.co/3rxilBl2urJanuary 9, 2024
The reaction to Dever's casting on social media is largely positive, but some followers have also expressed hope that she doesn't face an overly toxic backlash for taking on the role, and that HBO and Naughty Dog will stand by her if she does. It's a sad reality for women actors: Kelly Marie Tran, for instance, famously faced a massive torrent of abuse for her portrayal of Rose Tico in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and more recently The Last of Us star Bella Ramsey told GQ that she was subjected to widespread online abuse and hatred after being cast in the role of Ellie.
Despite that risk, The Last of Us has the potential to be a major role for Dever. The series is both critically acclaimed—it recently won eight Emmy Awards, including Offerman's, out of 24 nominations—and a mainstream hit. With producers and showrunners buoyed by that success, season two could prove to be an even bigger breakout. It'll be a while yet before we find out: The Last of Us season two isn't expected to arrive until sometime in 2025.
