The Last Of Us Season 2 Is Happening

HBO’s newest adaptation of a fan-favorite property, The Last of Us, might not have had quite the levels of hype House of the Dragon did, but it’s still a pretty big deal. Based on the video game of the same name, the series wasn’t clear from the start whether the plan was to tell the whole story in a single miniseries or if, like the game, there would be a The Last of Us Part II. With HBO confirming The Last Of Us Season 2 is a go, fans are already speculating what might be on the horizon.

Warning: Mild spoilers for The Last of Us Season 1 follow. The renewal announcement came after the series’ second episode arrived on HBO and HBO Max, meaning fans didn’t have a lot to go on from Season 1 for what might be in Season 2. However, the games give some clues, specifically that there may be a time jump. The original The Last of Us debuted in 2013, mainly played via Joel’s POV, and featured Ellie, who was about 14 or 15 at the time of the story. In 2020, The Last of Us Part II arrived, set five years in the future and now centered on the adult Ellie, the main player in the sequel.

The five-year time jump has fans concerned about recasting, specifically for Ellie, currently played by Game of Thrones actor Bella Ramsey. But these fears are probably unfounded. Ramsey may look like a young teenager in the series, but the actor is 19, the actual age of Ellie in Part II. By the time the series begins filming a second season, Ramsey will be older than the character they play. However, they’ll still look young enough that there won’t be a problem if the show decides to fill in the timeline rather than jumping ahead five years.

Here’s what else fans should know about the upcoming Season 2.

The Last Of Us Season 2 Renewal & Filming Updates

HBO announced The Last Of Us was renewed for a second season on Jan. 27, 2023. The show’s first season had only been on for two weeks, but the ratings were already through the roof. The series is a critical darling, with a 97% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The premiere episode debuted to 4.7 million viewers on linear, with Episode 2 notching 5.7 million, a massive increase, one of the largest for an HBO series ever. With streaming added in, the series premiere has reached 22 million viewers, on par with Game of Thrones’ highest numbers.

The Last Of Us Season 2 Cast

Despite fan concern, The Last of Us isn’t expected to come back without Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey as Joel and Ellie. However, who will play other characters, both single-episode adventure faces and recurring ones, is unknown.

The Last Of Us Season 2 Possible Plot

The biggest question for Season 2 is whether Season 1 will cover the full play-through of the original game. If it does, there’s a good chance Season 2 will be an adaptation of The Last of Us Part II, where Joel is not nearly as significant a presence. However, there’s also the distinct possibility the show will use a second season to fill in the space between the two games and cover the five-year hole in the narrative, which could mean more season renewals will follow.

The Last Of Us Season 2 Trailer & Release Date Predictions

Since The Last of Us’ renewal was only just announced, chances are production won’t start until later in 2023. However, HBO is a network that tends to debut its shows yearly, so fans will probably see a trailer and a new season in 2024.

The Last of Us Season 1 continues with new episodes every Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.