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The Last of Us season 2’s unsettling first trailer is here, and I’m not ready to have my heart broken all over again

September 27, 2024
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The Last of Us season 2's first trailer has been released online – and, judging by the footage contained within, I'm convinced it's going to be as emotionally devastating as its videogame counterpart.

Released yesterday (September 26) as part of 2024's The Last of Us Day celebrations, the two-minute long teaser is packed with unsettling, atmospheric, and drama-filled moments. It also gives us our first official looks at the new characters – including those introduced in The Last of Us Part II, the multi-award winning Naughty Dog game that this season is based on – who'll appear in season 2, as well as scenes directly pulled from the post-apocalyptic action videogame.

HBO didn't just release season 2's first trailer on The Last of Us Day, aka the day in the games when the Cordyceps virus destroyed civilization as we know it. In a press release, the Warner Bros. Discovery-owned studio also confirmed that the critically-acclaimed Max show would debut on its primary streaming platform sometime in 2025. This is the first time that HBO has revealed when one of the best Max shows will return, although HBO chief Casey Bloys suggested it'll air in the "first half" of 2025 when quizzed on season 2's launch in mid-September.

Rounding out this year's festivities was the unveiling of a season 2 story brief. Indeed, as part of the same press blast, HBO provided some insight into where The Last of Us TV show's next chapter will pick up after the first season's final episode. "After five years of peace following the events of the first season," it reads, "Joel and Ellie’s collective past catches up to them, drawing them into conflict with each other and a world even more dangerous and unpredictable than the one they left behind."

The Last of Us' second season doesn't have a release window in the UK or Australia yet, nor do we know where it'll be available to watch. But, with the hit series launching on Sky and Now TV in the UK, plus Binge in Australia, I'd be very surprised if season 2 isn't released on these services around the time it debuts on Max and HBO in the US.

Who are the new characters we see in The Last of Us season 2 teaser?

Ellie raises a shotgun in a barn in The Last of Us season 2

Who's joining Ellie (pictured) and Joel in season 2? (Image credit: HBO)

Aside from Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey, Gabriel Luna, and Rutina Wesley – who'll reprise their season 1 roles of Joel, Ellie, Tommy, and Maria next time out – every character we see in season 2's first-look teaser will be new to anyone who hasn't played the second game in Naughty Dog's acclaimed videogame series.

So, who's who in The Last of Us season 2's first footage? The biggest reveal is that of Abby, The Last of Us Part II's deuteragonist and the individual responsible for that soul-crushing moment in the aforementioned game. Don't worry, I won't spoil what happens for anyone who hasn't played the franchise's latest title – what I will say is that, for anyone who has, or anyone who's been told about it, it's going to be absolutely heartbreaking to see it brought to life in HBO's live-action adaptation. Anyway, HBO confirmed that No One Will Save You's Kaitlyn Dever had been cast as Abby in January.

Next on the newcomer front, Dina – Ellie's love interest, and an integral part of the story, in The Last of Us Part II – can be seen in a couple of notable trailer scenes, including one that's adapted directly from the game. Dina will be played by Madame Web and Alien: Romulus star Isabela Merced, whose casting was also announced at the start of the year.

Another prominent supporting character in The Last of Us Part II and its TV retelling is Jesse, one of Ellie's closest friends and a patrol leader for the Jackson, Wyoming settlement where Ellie, Joel, and many others live. Jesse will be portrayed by Netflix's Beef star Young Mazino.

As for the rest of season 2's supporting cast, many of whom will be familiar to anyone who's played Naughty Dog's most recent title, Jeffrey Wright (The Batman) is playing Isaac, Tati Gabrielle (Kaleidoscope) will portray Nora, Spencer Lord (Riverdale) has been hired as Owen, Danny Ramirez (Top Gun: Maverick) is on board as Manny, and Ariela Barer (Atypical) joined the cast as Mel.

Lastly, Catherine O'Hara will guest star in the series' sophomore season as a yet-to-be-named character. She can be seen speaking to Joel at various points in the teaser and it's O'Hara's unnamed individual who eventually asks him "what did you do?", which ties back into events in The Last of Us season 1 finale. On the surface, it seems O'Hara may be the Jackson settlement's therapist, who might be trying to help Joel move past his guilt and strike up the courage to tell Ellie the truth about what happened in season 1's final episode. Alternatively, O'Hara's character could be one of the town's new leaders – after all, five years have passed since season 1 ended – who Joel confides in. I guess we'll have to wait until season 2 arrives to find out for sure.

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