HBO has announced that Oscar nominee Jeffrey Wright has joined the cast of The Last of Us Season 2.
Notably, he will reprise the role of militia group leader Isaac, which he first played in developer Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us Part II video game upon which the second season is based. In the sequel, Isaac only appeared in a few scenes, so presumably, bringing Wright back — who’s coming hot off an Oscar nomination for the acclaimed film American Fiction — will lead to a larger role for the character in the series.
Jeffrey Wright has joined the cast of the HBO Original series #TheLastofUs for Season 2. @TheLastofUsHBO @HBO pic.twitter.com/eFtyigbfmp
— Max (@StreamOnMax) May 24, 2024
Without spoiling anything for those who haven’t played The Last of Us Part II, Isaac leads the Washington Liberation Front (WLF), a major antagonistic faction for Ellie (Bella Ramsey). The WLF is at war with a religious cult known as the Seraphites, and Ellie finds herself caught in the middle. Abby (played by Booksmart‘s Kaitlyn Dever), the biggest new character of the second season, is part of the WLF and reports to Isaac.
Wright is the second actor from the video games to reprise their role in the HBO series, following Merle Dandridge as Firefly leader Marlene. (It’s worth noting that Marlene does pop up in a flashback in The Last of Us Part II, so it remains to be seen whether Dandridge will also appear in Season 2.)
The Last of Us Season 2 is currently in production in Vancouver, but series co-creator Craig Mazin says it will only partially cover the events of The Last of Us Part II. To that end, HBO is planning at least one more season to fully adapt the sequel, which was significantly larger in scope than the original The Last of Us game upon which the first season was based.
In addition to the return of Ramsey and Pedro Pascal (Joel), other key casting details for The Last of Us Season 2 include Beef‘s Young Mazino and Isabela Merced (Dora and the Lost City of Gold) as Ellie’s friends Jesse and Dina and Toronto’s Catherine O’Hara (Schitt’s Creek) as a mysterious character.
The Last of Us Season 2 will premiere sometime in 2025. It will stream on Crave in Canada.
Image credit: PlayStation
Source: HBO
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