In just three days, "The Last of Us" fans have been presented with three new cast members for the second season. First, it was announced that they finally had an actress for Abby as they cast Kaitlyn Dever, and then Young Mazino for Jesse. Now, we finally have the actress for Dina.
Isabela Merced as Dina
Many agree that the newly added cast members have so far been great picks for the characters they were based on. With the recent casting of Isabela Merced, people are becoming more confident about the show's release in 2025.
Max officially announced the news through X (formerly known as Twitter), and so far, X users have been receiving it positively. The same can be said for Dever and Mazino, with fans saying that all three bear a resemblance to some of The Last of Us Part 2's main characters.
Isabela Merced has joined the cast of the HBO Original series #TheLastofUs for Season 2. @TheLastofUsHBO pic.twitter.com/IRRD3HLemd
— Max (@StreamOnMax) January 11, 2024
Merced has proven her talent in acting with her previous projects. She played Izabella in "Transformers: The Last Knight," Lizzy Viara in "Instant Family," the titular character in "Dora and the Lost City of Gold," and Anya Corazon in the upcoming Marvel film, "Madame Web."
Abby will probably have more screen time than Dina, but the latter is also a very important character in the story. For one, she is the love interest of Ellie, and will accompany her as they hunt for Abby. That means that we'll be seeing a lot of Merced in the first few episodes.
It would also be interesting to see the life she and Ellie would have after the time skip, (spoiler ahead) which takes place in a cozy farmhouse after Dina's already had JJ. Those who have played the game also know the heartbreak that comes after it.
Other New Cast Members
The biggest casting news is probably that of Kaitlyn Dever, given that she will play the person who will set the foundation for the second season. She has big expectations to meet, and Abby's character will have to go through a torrent of emotions like rage, grief, and even compassion.
Based on Dever's performance in other films, it's very much possible for her to achieve the range that people are expecting from the show. Let's just hope that the actress doesn't get the unnecessary hate that the voice actress behind the game character got.
As for Jesse, Young Mazino has been cast for the role. You may know the actor from "Beef," where you'll also see Steven Yeun, who is known for his role as Glen in "The Walking Dead." Mazino's role was announced just a day after Dever's.
It's safe to say that these actors already have a standard to live up to, which is usually the case for adaptations. Bella Ramsey, the actor who played Ellie, also got mixed reactions for their role as the protagonist.
Since Ellie is known for her colorful language, Ramsey seemed like the right person for the job as it was already proven how tough they can be based on their role as Lyanna Mormont on "Game of Thrones."
