Emmy winner John Goodman, Ian Alexander and Laura Bailey have joined the Season 3 cast of HBO’s The Last of Us. The trio’s additions to the acclaimed series, based on the award-winning Naughty Dog video game, were announced on September 26, 2026.
The castings carry extra weight, because Alexander and Bailey previously voiced characters from The Last of Us: Part II in the game. Alexander voiced Lev, while Bailey voiced Abby — a character now played in the live-action series by Kaitlyn Dever.
“Heroes of the Highway.”
In the live-action series, Goodman plays Joey and Alexander plays Paco, a friendly duo who dub themselves “Heroes of the Highway.” Bailey plays Elizabeth, one of the leaders of the religious sect known as the Seraphites.
What We Know About Season 3
Plot details remain under wraps, but HBO previously confirmed that Season 3 is expected to focus on Abby Anderson’s arc, with the Seraphites playing a major part. That sets up the new characters: in addition to Bailey’s Elizabeth, Peter Sarsgaard joins as Amon, one of the leaders of the Seraphites and a new character not found in the games.
Other new additions include Li Jun Li as Miriam, a Seraphite; Jason Ritter as Hanley, a WLF soldier; and Patrick Wilson as Jerry, Abby’s father. Michelle Mao and Clea DuVall also join, while Jorge Lendeborg takes over the role of Manny for Danny Ramirez, who could not return for scheduling reasons.
Pedro Pascal’s Joel was killed off in Season 2, so he will not appear physically in the new run, though flashbacks remain possible. The series is created by Craig Mazin, who becomes sole showrunner for Season 3 after co-running the first two seasons alongside game creator Neil Druckmann.
An Ending Looms?
Season 3 may be the series’ last. In an interview after HBO’s summer of Emmy wins, HBO and Max Content chief Casey Bloys declined to confirm that the upcoming season is the finale, but said he believes “Mazin has planned it as the final season.”
The casting marks the latest example of HBO pulling game actors into its live-action adaptation, following Merle Dandridge and Jeffrey Wright, who both reprised roles they voiced in the games. With a 2027 premiere on the calendar, the show continues to expand the world of the beloved game, much as fellow HBO hit It: Welcome to Derry builds out Stephen King’s universe.
Why It Matters
The Last of Us remains one of HBO’s biggest drama bets, and the Season 3 castings matter on two fronts: they bring recognizable talent like Goodman to what could be the show’s final season, and they reward continuity by casting actors tied to the game’s most beloved characters. For fans wondering how the show will adapt Abby’s section of the story, these additions are the clearest signal yet that Season 3 aims to go deeper into the Seraphites and the conflict at the heart of Part II.
