The Last of Us season 3 has cast John Goodman, and the voice of Abby from the game is playing the Seraphites' leader

HBO's The Last of Us has never been shy about surprising casting moves, but for its third run, they’ve really outdone themselves: some familiar names, a couple of delightful curveballs, and a rather pointed nod to the game’s fiercely debated lore. If you care about major story and cast shifts, best to pay proper attention this time round.

The Last of Us Season 3 is slated for a 2027 release.

Who’s Joining the Party?

Three big additions headline the upcoming season: John Goodman, Ian Alexander, and Laura Bailey. Goodman’s set to play a chap named Joey. Alongside him, Alexander has been cast as Paco. Apparently, these two consider themselves a proper post-apocalypse double act, self-branded as the 'Heroes of the Highway.' (That’s via Deadline, and yes, it does sound like someone’s a bit too fond of Mad Max in the writers' room.)

Then there’s Laura Bailey, who’s been handed the role of Elizabeth, firmly at the top of the Seraphites. If you’ve not brushed up on your Naughty Dog lore, the Seraphites are a religious outfit who end up playing a rather messy, high-stakes role in the story as it moves forward.

A Few Inside Connections

Now, if those names ring a bell for game fans, there’s good reason. Ian Alexander happened to voice Lev in The Last of Us Part II game. Laura Bailey, meanwhile, originally brought Abby Anderson to life in the same title. (Quite the meta-gimmick: Alexander and Bailey return to the universe, but not as the characters they’re best known for.) In the show, Kyriana Kratter is now playing Lev, and Kaitlyn Dever is on as Abby. Clearly, Mazin and co. are happy to stir the pan with some cross-medium fan references.

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The Story So Far and the Path Ahead

For anyone keeping score, Season 1 gave us Pedro Pascal as Joel and Bella Ramsey as Ellie—launched back in 2023 and generally acclaimed for not butchering the source material. Season 2 fast-forwarded things by half a decade, dropping in 2025 and, not without controversy, saw Joel meet an early end at the hands of Abby, played on-screen by Dever, all in the name of story closure (and a bit of creative risk-taking).

Now with Season 3, all signs point to Abby's story moving centre-stage, with the Seraphites getting a major spotlight. It’s also not a stretch to imagine Goodman and Alexander’s new duo will cause a bit of trouble—or at the very least, provide some much-needed levity in the show's trademark sea of despair.

Behind the Scenes: The Endgame?

Interesting detail for those following the production drama: Craig Mazin—who shares co-creator credit with Neil Druckmann—is stepping up as the sole showrunner for this go-round. Druckmann's not out, just shifting to a less front-line role. And if executive impressions are to be believed, the 2027 third season could end up being the series' swan song. HBO and Max Content chairman Casey Bloys has hinted Mazin’s mapped out the story with a proper conclusion in mind, so expect this new chapter to tie up more than a few threads.

• John Goodman as Joey
• Ian Alexander as Paco
• Laura Bailey as Elizabeth, head of the Seraphites
• Kyriana Kratter as Lev (not Alexander, for once)
• Kaitlyn Dever as Abby Anderson
• Bella Ramsey as Ellie
• Pedro Pascal as Joel — status for Season 3 unconfirmed, but don’t be surprised if he crops up via flashbacks

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