Bella Ramsey is leading The Last of Us set after Pedro Pascal’s exit, says Gabriel Luna
Gabriel Luna reckons Bella Ramsey’s the one steering The Last of Us Season 3 after Pedro Pascal’s exit — and hints the perspective will shift.
Things are moving quickly over on the set of The Last of Us Season 3, and, as you might have guessed, there's a big shift in the air now that Pedro Pascal has taken a step back. If you've been paying attention, you'll know Bella Ramsey is stepping straight into the spotlight — and Gabriel Luna, who plays Tommy, couldn't be more chuffed about it. He's been chatting to Variety, dropping some actual gold about where the show's heading and who's calling the shots these days.
The Bella Ramsey Era
Luna's admiration for Ramsey is full-throated — and frankly, deserved. In his own words, Ramsey has more or less assumed command as the main force on set since Pascal's exit knocked the dynamic askew. Here's how Luna put it while talking to Variety about the change in leadership:
“I go where Bella walks. I love them so much. They’re one of the world’s greatest actors.”
He didn't stop there. Luna is calling Ramsey 'the general' on set. That says a lot about how the show's evolved: what was once Pascal's playground now has a new star quarterback. For anyone worried we'd lose momentum post-Joel, Luna's not having any of it.
New Perspectives, Familiar for Gamers
Luna also hinted that Season 3 will take inspiration from the second half of the The Last of Us Part II game — in other words, expect new perspectives and, if you're a fan of the games, you'll know which narrative choices are coming. He told Variety:
“This season has been very interesting in the way that a lot of different perspectives shift. I think folks that have played the game are aware of that aspect.”
Don't expect a simple retread, though. The creative brain trust has shifted, too. Craig Mazin is charting his own course as sole showrunner, after Neil Druckmann left in July 2025 to focus on Naughty Dog projects. That move left Mazin solely in charge of translating the game's knotty, divisive plot twists to television, ably supported by a growing cast.
Filming and the Line-up
Luna confirmed what leaked set pics suggested: the show's actively filming in British Columbia. Cameras started rolling in March 2026, and they'll be at it until November. That's a hefty production window, even for HBO, but not mad considering how layered the material gets at this point in the story.
The Last of Us Season 3 started principal filming in March 2026 and aims to wrap by November.
For those keeping up with casting: Kaitlyn Dever officially leads as Abby, with Isabela Merced, Young Mazino, and Jeffrey Wright sticking around. HBO gave the season a green light in April 2025 — that's before Season 2 even aired — so confidence in the series remains sky-high. The plan is still for Season 3 to turn up in 2027, bringing that most controversial chunk of the game to TV.