HBO has announced that Isabela Merced has been cast as the character Dina in the second season of acclaimed drama series The Last of Us.
Showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann described Dina as “warm, brilliant, wild, funny, moral, dangerous and instantly lovable.” They stated that Merced effortlessly embodies all those qualities.
Merced has previously appeared in films including Transformers: The Last Knight and Sicario: Day of the Soldado. Her casting comes after recent announcements that Young Mazino and Kaitlyn Dever have also joined The Last of Us cast for the new season.
The first season of The Last of Us was based on the popular PlayStation video game and took place in a post-apocalyptic America. It followed hardened survivor Joel, played by Pedro Pascal, as he was tasked with escorting teenager Ellie, played by Bella Ramsey, across the country out of a quarantine zone.
The first season premiered in 2023 to widespread critical acclaim. It received 24 Emmy Award nominations, with wins so far in categories like prosthetic makeup and sound editing.
Sources report that production on the second season is scheduled to begin filming this spring, likely targeting a 2025 release date on HBO. Further casting details are expected in coming months.
