The Last of Usseason 2 is back in the spotlight now that the new Emmy nominations have been announced, but one particular nomination increases the excitement surrounding season 3. Out of2025’s Emmy Award nominations,The Last of Us'‘follow-up season scored an impressive 16 nominations across different categories.
In fact,HBO Max has the most Emmy nominations in 2025, withThe Last of Usdrastically helping with that feat. Like the case withThe Last of Usseason 1,Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey are nominated in leading roles, whereas the show is up for Best Drama. Granted, it’s interesting to see Pascal’s name return in the lead actor category.
Pascal’s role, of course, was cut short afterJoel was killed inThe Last of Usseason 2. The actor only prominently appeared in three episodes of the latest season despite initially being one of the faces of the series. What’s more, the character that killed Joel appeared even less frequently, but she also got an Emmy nomination for her performance.
Kaitlyn Dever’s Emmy Nomination Makes Her Role As Abby In The Last Of Us Season 3 More Exciting
There Will Be A Lot More Of Abby In Season 3
Four different actors fromThe Last of Us season 2received Emmy nominations for their guest roles, including Kaitlyn Dever, who portrayed Abby Anderson. The character notably sought revenge after Joel killed her father, leading to the demise of Pascal’s Joel inThe Last of Us’ most controversial death. The event also sent Ellie on her own revenge tour in Seattle.
Dever only appeared as Abby for less than five minutes of screen time inThe Last of Usseason 2, so the Emmy nomination might be a surprise, but she surely left her mark in that brief time. Killing off a fan-favorite created backlash, just like withThe Last of Us Part IIgame.
However, Kaitlyn Dever and the show only scratched the surface with Abby, but that will soon change sinceThe Last of Usseason 3will be Abby’s story. The upcoming season will specifically focus on what the character was up to while Ellie and Dina were looking for her in Seattle.
The change may be a controversial move with some, at least at first, butDever’s Emmy nomination should be an indicator of what to expect when Abby’s story takes center stage. Aside from Abby’s side of the story being quite compelling, Dever has continuously proven to be a standout name as her acting career reaches new heights.
The Last Of Us Season 2’s Emmy Nominations Are A Reminder Of How Different Season 3 Might Be
The Cast Could Look A Lot Different
It makes sense why some fans ofThe Last of Usmight be hesitant to accept the show’s switch to Abby’s story. From a story perspective, the decision mirrors the sequel game. On the other hand,making Dever the lead cast member inThe Last of Us season 3means the cast will look a lot differentcompared to previous seasons.
When looking atThe Last of Usseason 2’s other Emmy nominees, only Bella Ramsey could appear in season 3. Pascal’s time on the HBO show has seemingly come to an end unless more flashbacks are incorporated. Catherine O’Hara, who scored a nomination alongside Dever for a guest role, could return, but it probably won’t be in season 3.
O’Hara’s on-screen husband Eugene also got a nod from Joe Pantoliano’s nomination in the guest actor category, which also included Jeffrey Wright in his performance as Isaac. Among that list, only Wright is set to return in a significant role with Dever.
That said, HBO may have already changed the previously shared mindset when it comes to the show’s future. While providing details onThe Last of Usseason 3’s release window, HBO Max CEO Casey Bloys mentioned the rest of the story could be “two more seasons or one more long season.” Either way, it will be Kaitlyn Dever’s Abby in the spotlight when the show returns.
