The Last Of Us Season 2's Surprising Cast Update Is A Reminder Of How Exciting Season 3 Is Despite The Backlash

The Last of Us season 2 is back in the spotlight now that the new Emmy nominations have been announced, but one particular nomination increases the excitement surrounding season 3. Out of 2025's Emmy Award nominations, The Last of Us'' follow-up season scored an impressive 16 nominations across different categories.

In fact, HBO Max has the most Emmy nominations in 2025, with The Last of Us drastically helping with that feat. Like the case with The Last of Us season 1, Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey are nominated in leading roles, whereas the show is up for Best Drama. Granted, it's interesting to see Pascal's name return in the lead actor category.

Pascal's role, of course, was cut short after Joel was killed in The Last of Us season 2. The actor only prominently appeared in three episodes of the latest season despite initially being one of the faces of the series. What's more, the character that killed Joel appeared even less frequently, but she also got an Emmy nomination for her performance.

Kaitlyn Dever's Emmy Nomination Makes Her Role As Abby In The Last Of Us Season 3 More Exciting

There Will Be A Lot More Of Abby In Season 3

Four different actors from The Last of Us season 2 received Emmy nominations for their guest roles, including Kaitlyn Dever, who portrayed Abby Anderson. The character notably sought revenge after Joel killed her father, leading to the demise of Pascal's Joel in The Last of Us' most controversial death. The event also sent Ellie on her own revenge tour in Seattle.

Dever only appeared as Abby for less than five minutes of screen time in The Last of Us season 2, so the Emmy nomination might be a surprise, but she surely left her mark in that brief time. Killing off a fan-favorite created backlash, just like with The Last of Us Part II game.

However, Kaitlyn Dever and the show only scratched the surface with Abby, but that will soon change since The Last of Us season 3 will be Abby's story. The upcoming season will specifically focus on what the character was up to while Ellie and Dina were looking for her in Seattle.

The change may be a controversial move with some, at least at first, but Dever's Emmy nomination should be an indicator of what to expect when Abby's story takes center stage. Aside from Abby's side of the story being quite compelling, Dever has continuously proven to be a standout name as her acting career reaches new heights.

The Last Of Us Season 2's Emmy Nominations Are A Reminder Of How Different Season 3 Might Be

The Cast Could Look A Lot Different

It makes sense why some fans of The Last of Us might be hesitant to accept the show's switch to Abby's story. From a story perspective, the decision mirrors the sequel game. On the other hand, making Dever the lead cast member in The Last of Us season 3 means the cast will look a lot different compared to previous seasons.

When looking at The Last of Us season 2's other Emmy nominees, only Bella Ramsey could appear in season 3. Pascal's time on the HBO show has seemingly come to an end unless more flashbacks are incorporated. Catherine O'Hara, who scored a nomination alongside Dever for a guest role, could return, but it probably won't be in season 3.

O'Hara's on-screen husband Eugene also got a nod from Joe Pantoliano's nomination in the guest actor category, which also included Jeffrey Wright in his performance as Isaac. Among that list, only Wright is set to return in a significant role with Dever.

That said, HBO may have already changed the previously shared mindset when it comes to the show's future. While providing details on The Last of Us season 3's release window, HBO Max CEO Casey Bloys mentioned the rest of the story could be "two more seasons or one more long season." Either way, it will be Kaitlyn Dever's Abby in the spotlight when the show returns.