The Last of Us season 3 cast is expanding with John Goodman, Ian Alexander and Laura Bailey, HBO announced on September 26. The Hollywood Reporter reported the casting, while Deadline confirmed the characters and the actors’ links to the games.
Goodman will play Joey and Alexander will play Paco, a pair who call themselves the “Heroes of the Highway”. Bailey will play Elizabeth, one of the leaders of the Seraphites, the religious faction that becomes central to Abby Anderson’s story in The Last of Us Part II.
The Last of Us season 3 cast brings game performers back in new roles
Alexander voiced Lev and Bailey voiced Abby in The Last of Us: Part II. The television adaptation has already used performers from the games, including Jeffrey Wright as Isaac and Merle Dandridge as Marlene. Bailey also appeared briefly in the first season as one of the nurses in the hospital operating room, but her new role is separate from that appearance.
Goodman’s casting adds another recognisable HBO face to a season that already includes Jason Ritter, Patrick Wilson, Peter Sarsgaard and Li Jun Li. The existing cast includes Bella Ramsey, Kaitlyn Dever, Isabela Merced, Gabriel Luna, Jeffrey Wright, Ariella Barer, Tati Gabrielle and Spencer Lord.
When will The Last of Us season 3 arrive?
HBO has announced a 2027 premiere window, but has not given a specific date. Season two ended in May 2025, with the story shifting towards Abby’s perspective after Ellie and Abby’s confrontation. The Last of Us is currently streaming in the UAE, while our earlier report covers Peter Sarsgaard’s season 3 casting.
Craig Mazin is the sole showrunner for season three after Neil Druckmann stepped away from the television series at the end of season two. TheWrap describes the coming run as the HBO drama’s final season, although the exact shape of the adaptation and its episode count have not been announced by HBO.
For now, the casting fills out the Seraphite side of the story without revealing how closely the season will follow the game. The new additions also give viewers a small bit of game-recognition homework before 2027.
What characters will the new actors play in The Last of Us season 3?
John Goodman will play Joey, Ian Alexander will play Paco and Laura Bailey will play Elizabeth, a leader among the Seraphites.
Did Ian Alexander and Laura Bailey appear in The Last of Us games?
Yes. Alexander voiced Lev and Bailey voiced Abby in The Last of Us: Part II before joining the television adaptation in new roles.
Will The Last of Us season 3 be the final season?
TheWrap describes season three as the final season, but HBO has not published a detailed end-of-series statement or confirmed how many episodes it will contain.
