'The Last of Us' Creators Reveal Kaitlyn Dever's Abby Won't Be as Muscular

While The Last of Usshow creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann have already been open about how season two of the HBO drama will deviate from the source material, there is one very visible change that hasn't really been mentioned yet. Many fans of the ground-breaking games that inspired one of audiences' favorite HBO dramas starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey quickly picked up on a disparity from the game in the form of a new character, Abby. The important role is being played by No One Will Save You actress Kaitlyn Dever, and fans can't help but notice the difference in her smaller stature versus Abby's video game model's jacked figure.

However, Druckmann recently spoke to Entertainment Weekly as the show gears up for its season 2 release, clearing the air and hopefully dispelling some worries surrounding Dever's performance. As co-creator and writer of the games that started it all, Druckmann told EW about how mediums, such video games and television, rely on different aspects of storytelling. While in the game, Druckmann made Abby an imposing threat with her big muscles and tall frame so that her fighting style in the action game where players play as Abby would be more akin to how Joel fights. The writer explained that in the TV series the same bulky stature was not needed, since the play aspect of the story is removed and the drama is pushed forward.

"There's not as much violent action moment to moment. It's more about the drama. I'm not saying there's no action here. It's just, again, different priorities and how you approach it. Kaitlyn has the spirit of the game in her. What I always loved about the idea was that you are going to continually be challenged as you were in season 1. When you try to pick a hero, it's tough because we're human beings, we're not heroes. For every heroic act, there's someone who suffers on the other side who may see you reasonably as a villain. When you look at Kaitlyn, there's just something in her eyes where, even no matter what she's experiencing, you connect. It was important that we found somebody that we could connect to the way we connect to Bella." - Druckmann

The Absurd Controversy Surrounding the Character Abby

This is not the first time Abby's physical appearance has been harped on by fans. When The Last of Us Part II game first came out, some players, mainly the misogynistic group that unfortunately makes up a portion of gamers, were upset that Abby was what some might call a "more masculine figure." Mazin talked to EW about how subverting audiences' expectations again led to fruitful ground for the adaptation.

"I personally think that there is an amazing opportunity here to delve into someone who is perhaps physically more vulnerable than the Abby in the game, but whose spirit is stronger. And then the question is, ‘Where does her formidable nature come from and how does it manifest?’ That's something that will be explored now and later.” - Mazin

For all intents and purposes, the HBO version of Abby still seems like a faithful interpretation of the video game. From her unrelenting pursuit of vengeance described by the show's creators, to the iconic imagery already captured in the early trailers, The Last of Us Season 2 is keeping up with the level of accuracy from the first installment. Some small changes are natural for any video game adaptation, and while some diehard fans may be disappointed about Abby's lack of extreme muscle, there is much more to the character than meets the eye.