Abby Anderson in The Last of Us

The role everyone argued about before a single scene aired — and the performance that turned the argument into an Emmy nomination.

HBO announced in January 2024 that Dever would play Abby Anderson in The Last of Us season 2, which premiered in April 2025. For players of the games, Abby is the most divisive character in the story: a skilled soldier whose black-and-white view of the world is challenged as she seeks vengeance for those she loved. For everyone else, she is the season's shock — a new lead introduced into a story audiences thought they knew. Dever played her with the restraint that has defined her best work: no pleading for sympathy, no villainous signalling, just a person acting on convictions the audience may not share.

Why the casting was contested — and why it worked

The reaction from parts of the gaming community arrived before filming even started, because Abby's story is the one players argue about most. Casting a prestige-drama actress rather than an action lead was the point: the season needed Abby to be believable as a grieving, disciplined young soldier first and a physical threat second. The performance earned Dever a 2025 Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series — an industry signal, delivered before season 3 has aired, about where this performance is heading.

What comes next

Season 3 is reported to shift Abby to the centre of the story, with production in Vancouver running through most of 2026 and a 2027 release expected. Those details are reported, not confirmed by HBO with a date — see the upcoming projects page, which keeps confirmed and reported items separate.