The Last of Us cast gets major shake up ahead of season 3

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Fans are eagerly awaiting the third season of The Last of Us, and it’s now official: the show will feature some significant changes to its cast.

Danny Ramirez, known for playing Manny in the popular HBO show, won’t be back for season three. Sources at Deadline report he had to leave the show because of conflicts with his filming schedule.

As a huge MCU fan, I’m really excited to see Anthony Ramirez back as Joaquin Torres, aka The Falcon, in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday movie! But that’s not all he’s up to. He’s also taking on a fascinating role in a Jean-Michel Basquiat biopic called Samo Lives. And get this – he’s not just acting! He’s making his directorial debut with a sports drama called Baton, which is being produced by David and Victoria Beckham. It’s great to see an actor taking on so many different projects!

Ramirez is expected to be very busy, making it understandable that they might need to leave The Last of Us if filming schedules don’t work out. The character of Manny will be played by a different actor, but we’ll have to wait to find out who that will be.

In the final scene of season two, Manny woke Abby up, and a title card announced that season three will explore Abby’s past. Manny, who is also a firefly like Abby, was a key member of the group that helped her get revenge on Joel.

Although we don’t yet know what the story will be or who will be in it, fans can expect Manny to be back for multiple episodes in season 3 as Abby’s storyline continues.

The departure of Pedro Pascal isn’t the only change coming to season 3. Previously, it was announced that co-creator Neil Druckmann and co-writer Halley Gross would no longer be involved as showrunners. Druckmann explained to Variety that balancing his role as co-showrunner for seasons 1 and 2 with running a studio and working on a new game proved too difficult.

Despite some production adjustments, season three is currently planned for release in 2027, and will star Dever in the main role. According to co-creator Craig Mazin, the shocking ending of season two was deliberately designed to lead into the next installment.

You know, I was chatting with the creators recently, and they explained their approach to season endings has shifted. They’re moving away from wrapping things up neatly and are now embracing those classic cliffhangers – the kind that leave you on the edge of your seat, wondering what happens next and desperately counting down the days until the next season. It’s about ending on a huge, game-changing moment and then making you wait to see how it all plays out.

We constantly brainstorm and consider the best path forward, focusing on what makes our story unique. I’m always asking myself, ‘What can The Last of Us do that other stories can’t?’ And then we try to emphasize those special elements as much as possible.

Ultimately, you need to make choices with the audience in mind, always considering how they’ll feel when they finish experiencing something. The goal is to create something so engaging that they’ll be excited to come back for more.

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You can watch The Last of Us seasons 1 and 2 on Sky Atlantic and NOW if you have an Entertainment Membership.

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Authors

Morgan CormackDrama Writer

Morgan Cormack writes about TV and streaming drama for TopMob. Before that, she was an Entertainment Writer at Stylist. She also has experience in content marketing and freelancing, and holds a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature.

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2025-12-30 15:04