‘Spoiler alert’: The Last of Us co-creator confirms season 3 will not focus on Ellie

The Last of Us co-creator Neil Druckmann has confirmed that the show’s third season will focus on Kaitlyn Dever‘s character, Abby.

Fans of the video game the HBO series is adapted from had already guessed that this would be the case, as the game features a similar shift in perspective.

The first season of the show debuted on HBO in 2023. The second season, based on the 2020 video game sequel The Last of Us Part II, recently concluded. However, it’s still not close to bringing that game’s full story to the screen.

Speaking at an Emmys “For Your Consideration” event in Los Angeles, Druckmann said: “I can’t believe that they let us structure the series in this way, meaning like, we just ended Season 2, and Season 3 is going to be starring — spoiler alert — Kaitlyn.”

Per Collider, he continued: “I was sure that they wouldn’t let us do this when we started adapting this, but they’ve leaned into what makes, I believe, the story special. And allowed us not only the time but the creative freedom to be able to take these swings.”

*Major spoilers for The Last of Us Season 2 follow*

Dever’s character Abby is controversial for fans of the game and show as she killed the story’s earlier protagonist Joel (Pedro Pascal).

Speaking at the event via video link, Dever said: “I guess the controversy surrounding Abby was never really a concern for me, just given my first meeting with Craig and Neil and how wonderful they are and how talented they are.”

She continued: “I’ve never felt so carried on a set in my life… it was one of the greatest experiences I’ve ever had as an actor, just because it really, really felt like such a team effort.”

At a press conference last month, co-creators Druckmann and Craig Mazin said they still aren’t sure how much viewers can expect to see characters Ellie (Bella Ramsey), Dina (Isabela Merced) and Tommy (Gabriel Luna) in the next season.

No release date has yet been set for the third season, but Druckmann and Mazin have said they believe a fourth season will be necessary to complete the story.

The season two finale saw a long-awaited confrontation between Ellie and Abby, but was branded “lackluster” and a “mess” by some fans on social media.