The Last of Us season 3 announces 3 new cast members, including two who appeared in the video games

It’s been a little over a year since the second season of The Last of Us finished, and casting announcements for season 3 are ongoing. Now we know a few new faces are joining the popular HBO series — two of whom are very familiar to game fans.

According to Deadline, John Goodman, Ian Alexander, and Laura Bailey have been cast in roles for season 3 of The Last of Us. Goodman, a Golden Globe winner best known for Roseanne and The Big Lebowski, is new to the franchise, while Laura Bailey portrayed Abby in the game, and Ian Alexander portrayed Lev.

So far, we know that Goodman will play Joey and Alexander will play Paco. They're a “friendly duo” who call themselves the “Heroes of the Highway.”

Bailey, on the other hand, is taking a complete 180 from the role she played in the game and going full antagonist instead (if you don't already see Abby as an antagonist). She'll play a leader of the Seraphites, the religious clan fighting against the Washington Liberation Front for control of Seattle. We didn’t really see much of them season 2, but they will play a much bigger role in season 3.

This isn’t the first time the series has pulled actors from the video game and brought them into the show, as it did with Merle Dandridge and Jeffrey Wright, who portrayed Marlene and Isaac, respectively. Both had played the characters in the video games. Ashley Johnson, who voiced Ellie and did the motion capture in the game, portrayed Ellie’s mother in season 1.

Some fans have wondered why The Last of Us wouldn’t just cast the game actors in the show, since many are live-action actors too. However, given the characters' ages in the games, it makes sense to stick with different actors for some parts. I don't think Bailey as Abby would have worked because she is much older than the character (Abby is around 20-22 in the games, while Bailey is 45).

You could also point out Ian Alexander as a possibility to reprise his previous role, but Lev in the game is pretty much a young kid who is just starting to grow into himself. Alexander is a fully grown adult who I don’t think would fit the role as well.

However, these original roles might be a really great change for these actors. I could totally see Goodman and Alexander working together in a world like this — the apocalypse brings the most unexpected pairings together. But I’m honestly more interested in how they'll use Bailey’s character.

What the Seraphites are (and how it ties into the story)

If you’ve never played The Last of Us games and pretty much just watched it for Pedro Pascal at first (because, let's be honest, many people did), there’s actually a lot of lore about the Seraphites that’s important to know for season 3, as Abby’s character crosses paths with many of them.

The Seraphites were originally founded around a single woman who had a vision that led an entire group of people to live off the land and view the virus as a second chance for humanity to let go of “earthly pleasures.” She was seen as the prophet of everyone who follows the Seraphites. 

But as cults do, it started to evolve into increasingly violent territory where members would kill in the name of their prophet, disagreeing with everything anyone outside of the island was doing. This led to property disputes with the other major group residing in Seattle, WLF, whom we met with Abby, Isaac, and everyone else in The Last of Us season 2.

We don’t see much of the Seraphites in season 2 aside from a few key moments that show their brutality, like when one disembowels a soldier. Ellie (Bella Ramsey) and her group run into them a few times, but they mostly manage to avoid them. It’s really Abby who faces them a ton during her story in the games, and season 3’s focus on her will involve a higher percentage of them. 

The main characters she crosses paths with are Lev and Yara, two kids who escape the Seraphites due to the abuse that Lev suffered at the hands of their mother. Abby helps them escape when the Seraphites track them down, which drives the second half of her story.

Laura Bailey as a Seraphite leader is a big change in direction, but I think it's a good one. It’s a great way to establish her as a main character because, honestly, I think Abby was one of the best parts of the game. And if you don’t like her, well, try again. Her story parallels Ellie’s perfectly and makes The Last of Us a gaming masterpiece.

But even with original characters in the show, the writers have done a good job of spicing things up. For example, I really love Melanie Lynskey’s character, Kathleen, in season 1. We didn’t really see many full-on leaders for the Seraphites in the video games, just people who guided attacks.

I’d love to see how they really preach and guide their people. Bailey would be a great connection for game fans to get that. She’ll join the previously-cast Seraphite leader, Peter Sarsgaard, who will play Amon. 

If you’re not caught up on The Last of Us, you can watch the first two seasons on HBO Max.

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