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Minor spoilers below.
We haven’t yet reached the last ofThe Last of Us. Ahead of the highly anticipated season 2 premiere in April 2025, HBO announced that the hit sci-fi series—based on the popular PlayStationvideo game franchiseof the same name—has already been renewed for a third season.
The announcement didn’t come as a surprise. Co-creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann had spent months dropping hints that they would need multiple seasons to adapt the gamesThe Last of Us: Part IandThe Last of Us: Part II, and thatPart II’s storyline, in particular, would stretch wellbeyond season 2. As Mazin toldDeadlinein 2024, “We don’t think that we’re going to be able to tell the story even within two seasons [2 and 3] because we’re taking our time to go down interesting pathways, which we did a little bit in season 1, too. Season 3 will be significantly larger. And indeed, the story may require season 4.” (Similarly, HBO executive Francesca Orsi toldthe outletin February 2025 that “it’s looking like four seasons.”)
Even before these teases, there was little doubt the series would continue as long as necessary. Actress Bella Ramsey, who plays protagonist Ellie Williams,told ELLE in 2023that she would play the character for as long as HBO wanted her. “There’s no limits for me,” Ramsey says. “They can do as many games as they like, as many series as they like, and I’ll be here, flying back out to Canada.” (Mazin also shared his enthusiasm with ELLE, adding that, “To get to the end of the story in the time that we need to take to get to the proper end would be awesome. If I got to work on a set with Bella Ramsey every day for the rest of my life, I’d be thrilled.”)
However, major news soon arrived in July 2025, when fans learned that Druckmann would depart the HBO series in favor of his commitments with Naughty Dog, the game studio for which he serves as head. “I’ve made the difficult decision to step away from my creativeinvolvement inThe Last of Uson HBO,” he saidin a statementshared with press. “With work completed on season 2 and before any meaningful work starts on season 3, now is the right time for me to transition my complete focus to Naughty Dog and its future projects, including writing and directing our exciting next game.” He reiterated that the show would, indeed, go on without him: “I look forward to HBO and PlayStation Productions continuing Ellie and Abby’s story next season.”
Here’s what we know so far about season 3.
What will season 3 ofThe Last of Usbe about?
Season 3 will take a backwards time jump to “Seattle Day One,” depicting Abby’s story during the same time period that Ellie and Dina are searching for her in season 2. In aGQinterviewpublished after the finale, Kaitlyn Dever, who plays Abby, said, “I think Craig [Mazin] is still trying to write the season. I have no idea what their plans are. Craig says [season 3] is even more intense than season 2, which I don’t know how…[But] that’s all he told me.”
In a May 2025 interview withCollider, Mazin responded to questions about the potential length of season 3, given that season 2 covers only a portion of thePart IIplot.
“I think there’s a decent chance that season 3 will be longer than season 2, just because the manner of that narrative and the opportunities it affords us are a little different,” he explained. “The thing about Joel’s death is that it’s so impactful. It’s such a narrative nuclear bomb that it’s hard to wander away from it [in season 2]. We can’t really take a break and move off to the side and do a Bill and Frank story.”
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Mazin continued, “I’m not sure that will necessarily be true for season 3. I think we’ll have a little more room there. But certainly, there’s no way to complete this narrative in a third season. Hopefully, we’ll earn our keep enough to come back and finish it in a fourth. That’s the most likely outcome.”
It is also part of the original game narrative that the perspective shifts from Ellie to Abby, showcasing her backstory and perspective as someone traumatized by Joel’s actions inPart I. As theseason 2 finale makes clearin its final moments, Abby’s saga will indeed enter the spotlight in season 3.
Who will be cast in season 3 ofThe Last of Us?
We can expect Ramsey to return as Ellie, as well asDever as Abbyand Isabela Merced as Dina. Whether or not Pedro Pascal will make an appearance in a flashback is as yet unclear. Other cast members likely to return include Gabriel Luna as Tommy, Spencer Lord as Owen, Jeffrey Wright as Isaac, and Alanna Ubach as Hanrahan.
Danny Ramirez, however, will not return as Manny due to scheduling conflicts,Varietyreported. The role has been recast, with Ramirez’s replacement set to be Jorge Lendeborg Jr. (Spider-Man: Homecoming). PerTheWrap, Clea DuVall will also join season 3 as a Seraphite.
In March 2026,Deadlinerevealed more cast changes. Ariela Barer, Tati Gabrielle, and Spencer Lord have been promoted to series regulars, suggesting their characters will play a bigger role this time around.
Meanwhile, Jason Ritter and Patrick Wilson are joining the cast in new roles. Ritter will play Hanley, a WLF soldier, while Wilson is set to portray Jerry, Abby’s father.
Bridgerton’s Michelle Mao and Kyriana Kratter ofStar Wars: Skeleton Crewwere cast as siblings Yara and Lev, companions to Abby,per Deadline. In April 2026,Deadlineannounced that Li Jun Li ofSinnerswas joining the cast as Mirium, Lev and Yara’s mother.
Has production started for season 3 ofThe Last of Us?
In an interview withVarietyreleased May 4, 2025, actress Isabela Merced who plays Dina, discussed some production expectations. When asked if she knew when filming of season 3 would begin, Merced replied, “No, but I think it should be next year.”
When will season 3 ofThe Last of Uscome out?
On July 15, HBO and Max’s content chairman and CEO, Casey Bloys, addressed season 3’s release date. “The series is definitely planned for 2027,” Bloys toldVariety. “Craig [Mazin] is still working it out whether it will be two more seasons or one more long season. It hasn’t been decided yet, and I’m following Craig’s lead on that.”
This story will be updated.
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