HBO picked the most fitting day possible to deliver the news. The casting was announced on September 26, The Last of Us Day, the date the Cordyceps outbreak begins in the franchise’s timeline, with three new faces joining the third season, according to TheWrap.
John Goodman will play Joey, a new character created for the series, while Ian Alexander plays Paco. The pair are described as a friendly duo who call themselves the “Heroes of the Highway.” Laura Bailey will play Elizabeth, one of the leaders of the Seraphites, the religious faction from the games.
Fans of the games will recognize two of the three names. Bailey voiced Abby in The Last of Us Part II, while Alexander voiced Lev. Neither will reprise their game roles on the show: Kaitlyn Dever plays Abby in the series, and Kyriana Kratter plays Lev. Instead, the casting continues the show’s tradition of finding new parts for its game talent. Bailey already had a small cameo in the season one finale as one of the nurses preparing to operate on Ellie, following Ashley Johnson, Ellie’s voice in the games, playing Ellie’s mother Anna, and Troy Baker, Joel’s voice in the games, playing James in season one.
Season three is expected to be the show’s last. HBO and Max content chief Casey Bloys would not confirm it outright, but said he believes showrunner Craig Mazin “has planned it as the final season.” The season will put Dever’s Abby at the center of the story, picking up the events of season two from her perspective. It is expected to premiere in 2027, with Mazin serving as sole showrunner following the departure of co-creator Neil Druckmann after season two.
Goodman, Bailey and Alexander join a growing list of season three additions that includes Jason Ritter, Patrick Wilson, Clea DuVall, Li Jun Li, Peter Sarsgaard and Jorge Lendeborg Jr., who takes over the role of Manny from Danny Ramirez.