HBO has revealed the first footage of The Last of Us Season 2, revealing several key characters who will be introduced in the upcoming second season. Adapted from Naughty Dog studios’ critically acclaimed video game series, The Last of Us follows Earth’s remaining human survivors as they battle against a world infested with hordes of fungal zombies. Season 1 was a major hit for HBO, earning 8 Primetime Emmys and breaking records on the Max streaming service. The new cast members were announced earlier this year, and fans finally have their first proper look at the big players of Season 2.
The footage (which you can check out below) comes via a HBO featurette promoting their new shows for the latter half of 2024 and into 2025. Saving the best for last; the new footage from The Last of Us Season 2 teases the dramatic fallout of Joel’s (Pedro Pascal) decision to ‘save’ Ellie (Bella Ramsay) from the Fireflies, and settle in Jackson, Wyoming with Joel’s brother Tommy (Gabriel Luna). The footage opens with a recreation of one of the game’s most iconic scenes, showcasing Kaitlyn Denver as one of Season 2’s most important characters, Abby. The brief scenes also give fans a better look at Isabela Merced’s Dina, a long-time friend of Ellie.
Alongside the younger new additions, the footage also showcases two A-list stars who have joined The Last of Us for its return. Reprising his role from the second video game (this time in live-action), Jeffrey Wright’s terrifying Isaac Dixon is shown executing a prisoner. Catherine O’Hara’s mystery role is also teased. Her still unknown character is shown interrogating Joel about his involvement with the Fireflies. Fans are still trying to deduce whether her character will be good or bad, or, in true The Last of Us fashion, morally neutral.
The Last of Us Season 2 Will Be a (Mostly) Faithful Adaptation
When HBO’s The Last of Us was first announced, fans were incredibly skeptical. Despite the HBO stamp (which is usually an assured sign of quality), and being based on a video game which already plays out like an episodic show, video game adaptations were an unsuccessful venture in the industry. However, The Last of Us did the unthinkable. Not only was it an excellent adaptation of the game, it improved on some of the game’s more underdeveloped areas. The Last of Us showrunner Craig Mazin promises that Season 2 will do the same. Mazin said:
“Our show as people know it on HBO is going to cover the material from the second game and then quite a bit of material that is relevant to that story but, as I said, wanders down interesting new paths, unseen stories that were told within the context of that games material.”
Video game fans become expectedly defensive whenever a showrunner or director announces that their adaptation will change elements of the game. Some fans ask, ‘If you’re going to change important elements, then why adapt the game in the first place? Create something original.’ However, these changes and improvements are what merit the need for an adaptation in the first place. Were Craig Mazin to adapt The Last of Us 1:1, shot-for-shot, then what would be the point?
While Season 1 adapted the entirety of the first game, The Last of Us Part II is far larger. As a result, its story will be split into two seasons. It is expected that Season 2, which has a shorter episode count, will establish the major players in the new season as the story features a massive time jump. Season 3 will then explore the fallout of the bombshell plot-twist that fans of the game are terrified to see play out on-screen.
