Cameras are rolling on The Last of Us Season 3, and a new look at Kaitlyn Dever (Abby Anderson) and Kyriana Kratter (Lev) has been revealed.
With the series set to shift focus to Abby's story, we'll see plenty of these two fighting side by side when the HBO series returns. Neither the set photos nor the footage below are hugely revealing, though they do show the duo seemingly preparing for a gunfight.
In the games, Abby is a member of the Fireflies broken by tragedy when Joel Miller killed her father, Jerry Anderson. She makes it her mission to avenge Jerry's death, and only after her vengeance does she embark on a journey with her companion Lev and rediscover her purpose in life.
Lev, meanwhile, is a former member of the Seraphites. He and his sister, Yara, form a bond with Abby while she fights on behalf of the Washington Liberation Front (WLF). Season 2 of The Last of Us may have framed Abby as a villain, and this next batch of episodes will reveal there's more to her than meets the eye.
HBO CEO Casey Bloys previously revealed that, despite speculation about a fourth season, The Last of Us will end with Season 3. "It certainly seems that way, but on decisions like that, we will defer to the showrunners. So you can ask them," he said last month, at least somewhat hedging his bets.
Perhaps the biggest change when The Last of Us returns will be the departure of co-showrunner Neil Druckmann, leaving Craig Mazin in sole control of the series.
Explaining that it was "quite challenging to be as involved as a co-showrunner on Season 1 and Season 2, while running a studio and working and directing and writing a game," Druckmann confirmed last September that he decided to step down just as work was beginning on Season 3.
"I looked at what's in front of me, what the next season might look like, and with all the various Last of Us things I'm working on - not just the show - with all the various games I'm working on," he said. "The biggest one that takes up most of my time is Intergalactic: The Heretic Profit, our next big IP for Naughty Dog and PlayStation. It felt like I could better serve all of my responsibilities if I stayed at a higher level."
Starring Kaitlyn Dever, Bella Ramsey, Gabriel Luna, Isabela Merced, Young Mazino, Spencer Lord, Tati Gabrielle, Ariela Barer, Michelle Mao, Kyriana Kratter, and Patrick Wilson, The Last of Us Season 3 is expected to premiere on HBO next year.