"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Minor spoilers below. We haven't yet reached the last ofThe Last of Us. Ahead of the highly anticipated season 2 premiere in April 2025, HBO announced that the hit sci-fi series—based on the popular PlayStationvideo game franchise—has already been renewed for a third season. The announcement didn't come as a surprise. Co-creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann had spent months dropping hints that they would need multiple seasons to adapt the gamesThe Last of Us: Part IandThe Last of Us: Part II, and thatPart II's storyline, in particular, would stretchbeyond season 2. As Mazin toldDeadlinein 2024, "We don't think that we're going to be able to tell the story even within two seasons [2 and 3] because we're taking our time to go down interesting pathways, which we did a little bit in season 1, too. Season 3 will be significantly larger. And indeed, the story may require season 4." (Similarly, HBO executive Francesca Orsi toldthe outletin February 2025 that "it's looking like four seasons.") Even before these teases, there was little doubt the series would continue as long as necessary. Actress Bella Ramsey, who plays protagonist Ellie Williams,told ELLE in 2023that she would play the character for as long as HBO wants her. "There's no limits for me," Ramsey says. "They can do as many games as they like, as many series as they like, and I'll be here, flying back out to Canada." Mazin also shared his enthusiasm with ELLE, adding that, "To get to the end of the story in the time that we need to take to get to the proper end would be awesome. If I got to work on a set with Bella Ramsey every day for the rest of my life, I'd be thrilled." At the time of HBO's official green light Mazin shared an official statement saying that "the end results" of season 2 "have exceeded even our most ambitious goals," with Druckmann adding that "we're thrilled to bring you more ofThe Last of Us." Here's what we know so far about season 3. Season 3 will take a backwards time jump to "Seattle Day One," depicting Abby's story during the same time period that Ellie and Dina are searching for her in season 2. In aGQinterviewpublished after the finale, Kaitlyn Dever, who plays Abby, said, "I think Craig [Mazin] is still trying to write the season. I have no idea what their plans are. Craig says [season 3] is even more intense than season 2, which I don't know how…[But] that's all he told me." In a May 2025 interview withCollider, Mazin responded to questions about the potential length of season 3, given that season 2 covers only a portion of thePart IIplot. "I think there's a decent chance that season 3 will be longer than season 2, just because the manner of that narrative and the opportunities it affords us are a little different," he explained. "The thing about Joel's death is that it's so impactful. It's such a narrative nuclear bomb that it's hard to wander away from it [in season 2]. We can't really take a break and move off to the side and do a Bill and Frank story." Mazin continued, "I'm not sure that will necessarily be true for season 3. I think we'll have a little more room there. But certainly, there's no way to complete this narrative in a third season. Hopefully, we'll earn our keep enough to come back and finish it in a fourth. That's the most likely outcome." It is also part of the original game narrative that the perspective shifts from Ellie to Abby, showcasing her backstory and perspective as someone traumatized by Joel's actions inPart I. As theseason 2 finale makes clearin its final moments, Abby's saga will indeed enter the spotlight in season 3. We can expect Ramsey to return as Ellie, as well asDever as Abbyand Isabela Merced as Dina. Whether or not Pedro Pascal will make an appearance in a flashback is as yet unclear. Other cast members likely to return include Gabriel Luna as Tommy, Spencer Lord as Owen, Danny Ramirez as Manny, Jeffrey Wright as Isaac, and Alanna Ubach as Hanrahan. In an interview withVarietyreleased May 4, 2025, actress Isabela Merced who plays Dina, discussed some production expectations. When asked if she knew when filming of season 3 would begin, Merced replied, "No, but I think it should be next year." This story will be updated. You Might Also Like The 15 Best Organic And Clean Shampoos For Any And All Hair Types 100 Gifts That Are $50 Or Under (And Look Way More Expensive Than They Actually Are)
