Exclusive: 'The Last of Us' Season 2 Eyes Kaitlyn Dever for Abby by Jeff Sneider for The InSneider

Back in August, The Last of Us showrunner Craig Mazin told the L.A. Times that he had found an actress to play Abby Anderson in Season 2. To that end, I hear that Kaitlyn Dever is in talks to tackle the role.

Should a deal make, Dever would join Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey in Season 2, which is expected to premiere on HBO in 2025. In the game, Abby is positioned as a rival to Ramsey’s Ellie — a role that Dever herself was once eyed for, having done a table read as that character.

I'm happy to present the exclusive screen test footage of Kaitlyn Dever as Abby in HBO's The Last of Us.

In all seriousness, I think this is good casting overall. Kaitlyn is immaculate in Booksmart alongside Beanie Feldstein. It's one of mine and Abby's (my wife, not the game character) favorite movies. We watch it whenever we need a good laugh. We also enjoy her in Rosaline and Ticket to Paradise.

She's not only in comedies, which would be a stark contrast to The Last of Us. She's starred in Netflix's Unbelievable, Hulu's Dopesick, and recently the horror movie No One Will Save You, which looks right up my alley. I can't speak to her performances in those, but wager she does a good, if not, great job given her work I am familiar with.

The obvious point is that Kaitlyn is not jacked/stacked/built. Anyone can bulk up in the gym, but she's not exactly the force of nature that Abby (the game character, not my wife) is in Part II. In reality, she is physically a lot like Ellie. And like the quote from Sneider says, Kaitlyn did a table read for the role of Ellie. I suspect that the show is not going to jump right into the opening hours of the game, but rather take the chronological approach, which gives them more flexibility in Abby's buffness.

Another fun fact I learned since this rumor broke was that Kaitlyn played Cassie in Uncharted 4: A Thief's End. I heard Colin Moriarty mention it on Sacred Symbols and was surprised. If she is cast as Abby, this would not be her first rodeo with Neil. Whoever they do get for Abby, I hope they give them a heads up about the unfortunate and shameful amount of vitriol that will head their way.