With filming on Season 3 of The Last of Us, which began back in March, quietly ticking along, HBO has announced three new additions to the cast. Two of those faces will be especially familiar to anyone who played The Last of Us Part 2, namely Laura Bailey and Ian Alexander, who respectively provided the voice and motion capture for Abby and Lev in Naughty Dog's game. It's confirmation that this third season will keep drawing on the source material, even if neither performer is reprising their character from the game.
In truth, since Season 2 aired more than a year ago, the show has kept a fairly low profile, but the production has carried on laying the groundwork for what comes next. With filming having started in March 2026, the teams have been at it for several months now, and this third and final season will focus far more on Abby (played by Kaitlyn Dever), fleshing out her journey as well as that of the Seraphites. Bella Ramsey will of course be back as Ellie, while Pedro Pascal's presence has yet to be confirmed, as he could turn up in flashbacks, something the game leaned on heavily.
Laura Bailey: from Abby to Elizabeth
As for Laura Bailey, she has landed the role of Elizabeth, one of the leaders of the Seraphites. Players know the actress very well indeed, since she played Abby in The Last of Us Part 2. Which means that, with this Seraphite role, there's every chance she'll end up facing off against Kaitlyn Dever on screen, and that would be quite something to watch. Either way, her return to the Naughty Dog universe is a pretty obvious nod. Ian Alexander also has history with the game, having played Lev in The Last of Us Part 2. This time round he'll be playing Paco, a character who doesn't appear in the games, paired up with Joey to form the "Heroes of the Highway". And guess what? Joey is being played by John Goodman!
John, the good man
In John Goodman, HBO has secured an actor who needs no introduction on either the big or small screen. His character, Joey, doesn't exist in the games and was created for the show. He and Paco will make up a duo of survivors, allowing the production to introduce new characters into a story that remains largely inspired by The Last of Us Part 2. Having broken through with Roseanne, in which he played Dan Conner for the best part of a decade, John Goodman went on to build a remarkably rich film career. The Coen brothers handed him several standout roles, including Walter Sobchak in The Big Lebowski, and he also shone in Barton Fink, O Brother, Where Art Thou? and Inside Llewyn Davis. He's also appeared in Argo, 10 Cloverfield Lane and Kong: Skull Island, and he'll be in Digger alongside Tom Cruise.
These three new names join an already well-stocked cast. As a reminder, Li Jun Li will play Miriam, a Seraphite, Peter Sarsgaard will be Amon, one of the group's leaders, while Jason Ritter takes on Hanley, a WLF soldier. Patrick Wilson will play Jerry, Abby's father, and Michelle Mao returns as Yara, Lev's sister. Finally, Clea DuVall and Jorge Lendeborg Jr. will also be part of this new season.
Season 3 of The Last of Us is due in 2027 on HBO, and it will be the last.
