(Image credit: HBO)
Fans are eagerly awaiting The Last of Us Season 2, and I honestly can’t blame them. The acclaimed HBO show is currently in production on the new episodes and, as a result, set photos have been leaking for months now. Most recently, images of Bella Ramsey, who plays the role of Ellie, were posted to the web and garnered reactions from users. One notable devotee who spotted the pics was none other than actor O’Shea Jackson Jr.. The son of Ice Cube not only shared thoughts on Ramsey’s look for the second season, but he also revealed a request he has for the drama series.
Honestly, the more I learn about the Straight Outta Compton star’s taste in movies, TV and videos, the more I realize how much I vibe with this guy. On social media, he’s not only posted about his love for Kingdom Hearts, but he’s also hyped up Star Wars (a franchise he’s since become a part of). So I guess I shouldn’t have been all that surprised to see the 33-year-old star hyping up The Last of Us. After seeing the set pics of Bella Ramsey’s slightly older Ellie on X, the Den of Thieves star expressed his approval. At the same time though, he added a note about a certain character that’s being introduced in the new season:
The character he’s referring to is Abby Anderson, who was introduced during the events of 2020’s The Last of Us Part II as the main antagonist. Because the new season is adapting that game, Anderson is set to be included in the upcoming episodes. Much to many fans’ delight, Kaitlyn Dever was cast as Abby, and I’m confident that she’ll bring a lot to the role. O’Shea Jackson Jr. did make a good point, though, in that Abby was also physically imposing. Dever is someone who can certainly commit to a role, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she hit the gym while prepping for this gig.
Moving away from the Abby element of this discussion, I also have to agree with the Godzilla: King of the Monsters alum that Ellie’s updated look works as well. Bella Ramsey – who was nominated for an Emmy for their Season 1 performance – pretty much looks spot on. I continue to be amazed by how the costume designers are able to almost seamlessly adapt the looks from the game for a live-action production. Of course, flawless aesthetics like those (including locations revealed in BTS photos) are only part of the reason why fans should be excited for what’s to come.
Season 2 is bringing in a considerable amount of talent to fill out its already impressive ensemble to join Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal. In addition to Kaitlyn Dever, Isabel Merced has also been cast as Dina, a love interest for Ellie. Merced has teased her “chemistry” with Ramsey, and that makes me hopeful that the two actors will click when they’re on screen together. Beef cast member Young Mazino and Top Gun: Maverick alum Danny Ramirez are also set to play Jesse and Manny, respectively. Also, not only is Jeffrey Wright reprising his role as Isaac Dixon from the game, but Catherine O’Hara has been cast in a mystery role as well.
There’s obviously still a lot of the second season that we’ve yet to see, but the few glimpses that have been released (or have been leaked) are making me optimistic. I’m both excited and nervous to follow Ellie on this new chapter and think that Kaitlyn Dever is going to deliver a performance for the ages. On a side note, here’s hoping that O’Shea Jackson Jr. live-tweets the series when it finally comes back in 2025.
Fans can check out a number of other shows while The Last of Us is on hiatus. Of course, if you also desire, you can stream the entire first season now using a Max subscription.
