Summary
- Neil Druckmann leaves The Last of Us TV series ahead of season 3, shifting focus to his company.
- Fans express disappointment over season 2 ratings and changes, anticipating Abby's role in season 3.
- Rumors of a fourth season circulate, with Mazin believing it is necessary despite season 3 greenlight.
The Last of Us season 2 concluded in May 2025, and now, as fans anticipate the third season, an important member of the team is leaving.
The Last of Us season 1 was a huge success when it premiered on HBO in January 2023. The story centers around Ellie (Bella Ramsey) and Joel (Pedro Pascal), a duo who move throughout the United States and try to avoid being infected by the Cordyceps fungus. Season 2 introduced new characters such as Abby (Kaitlyn Dever), Jesse (Young Manzino), Dina (Isabel Merced), and Tommy (Gabriel Luna). Unfortunately, ratings dropped in the second season and fans weren't thrilled with changes to the game's timeline. There was also that big death scene, which fans anticipated but were still stunned by. Now, fans will want to know which creative team member isn't coming back for The Last of Us season 3.
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Neil Druckmann Is Leaving Before The Last Of Us Season 3
Neil Druckmann posted on the Instagram account for his company Naughty Dog, and explained that he has departed The Last of Us TV series. He wrote:
“I’ve made the difficult decision to step away from my creative involvement in The Last of Us on HBO."
He added that now that season 2 is done and "before any meaningful work starts on season 3," it's "the right time" to shift his attention to his company. He explained that he will keep working there as Head of Creative and Studio Head and will also work on the upcoming videogame Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. Tati Gabrielle, who is known for playing Joe Goldberg's (Penn Badgley) love interest Marienne Bellamy on You and who also played Nora on The Last of Us, plays bounty hunter Jordan A. Mun in the game.
Druckmann continued:
“Co-creating the show has been a career highlight. It’s been an honor to work alongside Craig Mazin to executive produce, direct and write on the last two seasons. I’m deeply thankful for the thoughtful approach and dedication the talented cast and crew took to adapting The Last of Us Part I and the continued adaptation of The Last of Us Part II.”
Druckmann developed The Last of Us game at Naughty Dog, and Part 1 was released in 2013, with Part II arriving in 2020. Druckmann and Craig Mazin co-created the HBO adaptation and served as showrunners for seasons 1 and 2. Since Druckmann created the haunting and unforgettable world for the game, his departure marks a huge change in the franchise. In recent months, Druckmann commented on many aspects of the second season, including the adaptation of Abby's character arc and the "wild" tone of the episodes. Mazin has shared his thoughts often as well, including what he thinks about fan complaints about the end of Joel's storyline.
While the series has a high Rotten Tomatoes rating of 94%, the 62% rating on the Popcornmeter reflects some of the criticisms that fans have. There is no release date for The Last of Us season 3, and it will likely be a while since filming hasn't started. Although exact plot details are unknown and twists and surprises are likely still in store, fans know that Abby will be the center point of season 3. At the time of this writing, it's unclear exactly how much screentime Ellie will get. In an interview with Variety, Bella Ramsey said they think they'll appear in season 3, but not as much as before. They explained, "I think that I’m going to be there, but not a whole bunch."
Although as of now, only a third season has been greenlit, Mazin told Collider he thinks a fourth season is necessary.
- Release Date
- January 15, 2023
- Network
- HBO
- Showrunner
- Craig Mazin
Cast
-
Pedro PascalJoel Miller -
Bella RamseyEllie Williams
WHERE TO WATCH
- Directors
- Craig Mazin, Peter Hoar, Jeremy Webb, Ali Abbasi, Mark Mylod, Stephen Williams, Jasmila Žbanić, Liza Johnson, Nina Lopez-Corrado
- Writers
- Neil Druckmann, Craig Mazin, Halley Wegryn Gross
- Franchise(s)
- The Last of Us
- Creator(s)
- Neil Druckmann, Craig Mazin
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Source: Variety.com