HBO is reportedly locking in the cast for The Last of Us Season 3, with Patrick Wilson and Jason Ritter added as newcomers, as Ariela Barer, Tati Gabrielle, and Spencer Lord sign on to return.
Details on the additions come from Deadline, which reports that Wilson has been picked to play the role of Abby’s (Kaitlyn Dever) father, Jerry, while Ritter, who holds an uncredited role as a Clicker in Season 1, is now set to appear as a Washington Liberation Front (WLF) member named Hanley. Wilson’s involvement was first reported on by The InSneider.
Wilson has shown up for roles across movies and TV, with some of his more memorable parts including the Nite Owl in Watchmen, King Orm in the two recent Aquaman films, and Ed Warren in movies like The Nun and The Conjuring. Ritter is best known for CBS TV drama Matlock and has credits on shows like Gravity Falls, Poker Face, Accused, and more. His wife, Melanie Lynskey, previously appeared in The Last of Us as one of the many antagonists Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsay) came across during their journey in Season 1.
While the two actors join The Last of Us Season 3 to expand its world, Season 2 stars Barer, Gabrielle, and Lord are now set to reprise their roles as Mel, Nora, and Owen, respectively. Their return as three of Abby’s closest allies falls in line with expectations that new episodes of the show will pull from events that take place during later portions of the games.
Warning! Spoilers for The Last of Us Part 2 and potential spoilers for The Last of Us Season 3 follow.
It’s Wilson’s portrayal as Jerry that will surely grab the attention of many seasoned The Last of Us fans. The character originally played a small but important part in The Last of Us Part 2 video game the show is based on. In addition to being Abby’s father and a surgeon searching for a cure for the world-ending cordyceps virus, his death at Joel’s hands is the driving force behind many of the events in that game. The HBO team has taken the opportunity to build on and alter the source material in the past, so it’s unclear how substantial Jerry’s role is in Season 3.
Although plot details for The Last of Us Season 3 have not been revealed, all signs seem to point to a season focused on Dever’s Abby. The Last of Us Part 2 infamously features a perspective switch around the middle of its story by asking players to step into Abby’s shoes. The finale of Season 2 seemed to do the same, with its cliffhanger turning back the clock to tease a new run of episodes focused on Dever and the WLF.
The Last of Us Season 3 currently has no release date. Despite comments from showrunner Craig Mazin and composer Jake Staley suggesting the show would end with Season 4, HBO boss Casey Bloys told Deadline earlier this year that the next batch of episodes is expected to be its last. While we wait to see where The Last of Us leaves us next, you can read about why Manny actor Danny Ramirez dropped out of the show and who’s replacing him.
Photo by Santiago Felipe/Getty Images.
Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
