Kaitlyn Dever officially cast as The Last of Us season 2’s most divisive character

The Last of Us: Part II’s Abby has been cast for season two of the HBO show, with one of gaming’s most controversial characters now having a new actress to shoulder the mantle.

Twenty-seven-year-old actress Kaitlyn Dever has been confirmed for the role of Ellie’s antagonist in season two and beyond as the showrunners for HBO’s game adaptation have confirmed the events of the second game will take place over multiple seasons.

Abby has been a subject of controversy ever since the launch of Part II, so much so that the character’s voice actress was reportedly subject to harassment and death threats over her in-game actions.

The shocking, dark game will be difficult to translate one-to-one to the screen, so season two of the show will likely play out much differently than the game. But what most likely won’t change is the actions committed by Abby that caused many to dislike the character within moments of her introduction.

Dever has been in the spotlight for many years, going back to long-running roles in popular TV series Justified, Dopesick, and Last Man Standing. She most recently starred in the extra-terrestrial thriller No One Will Save You and the Netflix film Good Grief.

The Last of Us’ first season has already received eight Emmy victories among its 24 nominations, including Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup and Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for Nick Offerman as Bill.

The show is still up for Outstanding Drama Series, Lead Actress in a Drama Series (Bella Ramsay as Ellie), and Lead Actor in a Drama Series (Pedro Pascal as Joel).

Season two of the show is set to begin production within the coming weeks for a release in 2025. The Last of Us: Part II Remastered will be released later this month on PlayStation 5.