Caution: This article contains SPOILERS for The Last Of Us season 2
Kaitlyn Dever is set for The Last of Us season 3, and how it’ll change viewers' perception of her controversial character!
The Last of Us season 2 remains a bit divisive among the fandom. That’s no surprise, given it was adapting a video game that likewise garnered a lot of discussion. The sequel to the award-winning game about the survivors of a zombie-like plague had some shocking turns that viewers weren’t prepared for.
The biggest came early as Joel (Pedro Pascal), the hero of the show, was brutally murdered by Dever’s Abby. She had her reasons, as her father was one of the scientists Joel killed saving Ellie (Bella Ramsey) from a procedure that could have created a cure for the virus, but would have killed her in the process.
While her anger was justified, Abby’s murder of Joel, right before a helpless Ellie’s eyes, instantly made her vilified by the fandom. The season 2 finale had Abby kill Jesse (Yong Maizno) and hold Tommy (Gabriel Luna) at gunpoint to force Ellie into a confrontation. It then cut to Abby walking into the WLF base in Seattle with a caption of “Day 1.”
That indicates season 3 will flash back to how Abby began her journey of revenge. Speaking to Deadline, Dever stated that production on season 3 is about to begin and is excited for it.
“I’m getting mentally and physically prepped right now. I go up in a couple days, actually, to start prep over there. I’m so excited to kind of take on a much bigger role in the season," she said.
It seems a bigger focus on Abby is ahead, which could ease some of the fan hate toward her.
What’s coming for Abby in The Last of Us season 3?
Some fans have been a bit surprised that The Last of Us didn’t try to film season 3 right after season 2. That’s likely due to a behind-the-scenes shake-up with Neil Druckman, who co-created the original games and was hands-on throughout the first two seasons. Druckmann took a step back from writing/directing for season 3, alongside writer Halley Gross. Craig Mazin now serves as solo showrunner.
Fans of the games know that Abby’s journey is filled with a lot of drama and twists that change how players see her. She goes from a pure villain to a more complex character that some even empathize with. That sounds like something Dever wants to convey.
“The fans are really going to like it, I think, the shifting perspective onto Abby, getting some more context onto her storyline, and going back in time with this season. So, I’m very excited for the fans to see it," Dever said.
With production just getting started, we likely won’t see the third season until 2027. But with Dever promising some new insight into her character, the wait should be worth it to show fans how this "villain" isn’t who they think she is.
The first two seasons of The Last of Us are streaming on HBO MAX. Season 3 is expected to begin production in early 2026.