HBO’s popular The Last of Us TV show, based on Naughty Dog’s game series, is coming back for its third and possibly final season.
Ahead of its expected 2027 premiere, The Last of Us Season 3 is now in production in Canada, and much of the cast has been revealed, including returning stars and newcomers. In this gallery, we’re rounding up all the cast members we know about so far.
Season 3 won’t have everyone that HBO planned for. Catherine O’Hara was planned to reprise her role as Gail in Season 3, but she passed away in January 2026. Danny Ramirez, meanwhile, who played Manny in Season 2, had to drop out due to a scheduling conflict. He was replaced in the role by Jorge Lendeborg Jr.
It’s expected we will learn more about the Season 3 cast in the weeks and months ahead, so keep checking back for more.
With production on Season 3 now underway, images and video from the set have begun to leak. Recently, we got a closer look at Abby and Lev on a rooftop. Season 3 is expected to debut in 2027.
As for the game series, Naughty Dog is rumored to be working on The Last of Us 3, which would be the developer’s second in-development project, joining the new IP Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.
Bella Ramsey as Ellie
Bella Ramsey, one of the main stars of Seasons 1 and 2, is coming back for Season 3, but they aren’t expected to play as big a role. That’s because Season 3 will focus on Abby’s story. We’d be very surprised, however, if Ramsey is totally absent from Season 3, especially if it is indeed the show’s final run of episodes.
Kaitlyn Dever as Abby
Kaitlyn Dever stepped into the world of The Last of Us in Season 2 as Abby, and she’s coming back for Season 3 in a bigger role. As mentioned, that’s because Season 3’s story focuses more on Abby.
Joel (Pedro Pascal) killed Ellie’s father, Jerry, and Abby tracked him down and murdered him with a golf club in Season 2. Then Ellie went after Abby. Season 2 ended in dramatic fashion with Ellie and Abby squaring off.
Patrick Wilson as Jerry
Patrick Wilson known for his roles in The Phantom of the Opera and The Conjuring franchise, will play Jerry. He is Abby’s father, and given that Season 2 took place after Jerry was killed by Joel, we can expect Season 3 to go back in time to show more of his relationship with Abby.
Clea DuVall
Clea DuVall has joined the cast for Season 3, but there is no word yet as to who she may play. DuVall is known for her roles on the TV shows The Handmaid’s Tale and Veep.
Jorge Lendeborg Jr. as Manny
Jorge Lendeborg Jr., who starred in the Transformers movie Bumblebee, joins The Last of Us Season 3 as Manny, taking over for Marvel actor Danny Ramirez. He had to drop out due to a scheduling conflict.
Image credit: Matthew Simmons / Stringer / Getty
Jason Ritter as Hanley
A Million Little Things and Matlock actor Jason Ritter will play a Washington Liberation Front (WLF) soldier in The Last of Us Season 3. Ritter is married to actress Melanie Lynskey, who portrayed the villain Kathleen in the show’s inaugural season.
Image credit: Matt Winkelmeyer / Staff / Getty
Ariela Barer as Mel
Ariela Barer returns in the role of Mel, a former member of the Fireflies, and joins the Washington Liberation Front with Abby.
Image credit: PG/Bauer-Griffin / Contributor / Getty
Tati Gabrielle as Nora
Tati Gabrielle also returns in Season 3, once again playing the role of Nora, one of Abby’s allies. Gabrielle will also play the main role in Naughty Dog’s upcoming game Intergalactic. Her connections to Naughty Dog don’t end there, as she also appeared in the Uncharted movie alongside Tom Holland.
Image credit: Emma McIntyre / Staff / Getty
Spencer Lord as Owen
Another one of Abby’s friends, Owen, is coming back in Season 3 and he will be played once again by Spencer Lord (Heartland, Family Law).
Michelle Mao as Yara
Michelle Mao is a newcomer for The Last of Us Season 3, and she plays Yara, the former member of the Seraphites and the older sister of Lev. Mao is known for her roles on Bridgerton and the Goosebumps TV show.
Image credit: Mat Hayward / Stringer / Getty
Kyriana Kratter as Lev
The most controversial casting for Season 3 was Kyriana Kratter as Lev, the younger brother of Yara.
As in the game, Lev will be depicted in the television show as a 13-year-old transgender boy. Kratter, who is 15 and played breakout character KB in Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, is understood to be cisgender.
HBO reportedly conducted an “inclusive casting call” and chose Kratter. While there is no doubt about Kratter’s acting skills, the casting decision has attracted criticism online.
Image credit: Jeff Spicer / Stringer / Getty
Li Jun Li as Miriam
One of the stars of the movie Sinners, Li Jun Li, will play Miriam in The Last of Us Season 3. Variety broke the news, revealing that she will play the Seraphite and mother of Lev and Yara.
