Before Bella Ramsey was cast as Ellie in HBO’s The Last of Us, a lot of fans had wanted Booksmart star Kaitlyn Dever to land the part—especially since she looked and sounded so much like the game’s version of Ellie.
Dever may not have landed the role, but it does look like she could be joining the series after all; not as Ellie, but rather the sequel’s antagonist Abby.
According to The InSneider, Dever has been cast in the role of Abby Anderson. It was mentioned by series showrunner Craig Mazin that the part had already been cast back in August, and now the series is gearing up to start production of Season 2 this January.
Though some could be worried that Dever may not have the time to bulk up and match the Abby we see in the game, it has been said that the series could be splitting up the timeline in the games. It’s possible we could be seeing Abby’s history in the second season with her dad, and we can have the chase with Ellie in Part II of The Last of Us around the time of Season 3.
Before word of Dever’s casting, it was rumored that Florence Pugh (Oppenheimer) was being eyed for the role of Abby, but seeing as she’s essentially an A-lister now, Dever seems like a more realistic choice for the series—which will probably eat up a lot of time and take a lot of effort.
Of course, nothing official has been confirmed, but I think Dever would be a great choice for someone others are considering the co-protagonist of The Last of Us Part II.
No release date has been set for the second season of The Last of Us, but you can catch the first season now screening on Max. You can catch Dever in No One Will Save You now streaming on Hulu.
