We recently got word that Isabela Merced had joined the cast of The Last of Us season 2 as a key character from the second game, Dina, who ends up becoming Ellie's love interest as the story progresses.
Merced, who is also set to suit-up as Hawkgirl in James Gunn's Superman: Legacy, plays Anya Corazon in Madame Web, which swings into theaters today.
While speaking to Deadline on the red carpet of last night's premiere of Sony Pictures' latest SMU movie, Merced confirmed that production on season 2 of HBO's video game adaptation is now underway in Vancouver, while revealing that she has filmed her first scene.
We're not sure exactly what the sequence in question entailed, but it sounds like it may have been a moment from later in the game between Dina and Abby, as Merced refers to Kaitlyn Dever as "One of the most talented actors I've ever worked with."
“The stars are truly aligning. I had several of my friends that I’ve worked with in this industry for a long time join the cast. I can’t say who just joined. But he’s amazing. And he’s a future superstar and already a superstar in my eyes. We’ve had one day of shooting for me as Dina and I gotta say, we kind of ate, I’m not gonna lie. I was a huge fan of the second game. I played it in, like one weekend. And then I wondered, how is this going to translate onto TV. And (showrunner) Craig Mazin is one of the most brilliant people, actually, I think, a genius. I’m sure if they did the test, they would find out that it’s true. And he’s just has a way of bringing these characters to life that no one could ever just come up with in such a short amount of time. I love him. He’s amazing."
We don't know who Merced's mysterious friend is playing, but several major male supporting roles have yet to be announced, including Lev and Owen.
Young Mazino (Beef) is also on board as the heroic Jesse, and Kaitlyn Dever (Dopesick, No One Will Save You) has been cast as the season's deuteragonist (or antagonist, depending on your point of view), Abby.
Bella Ramsey (Ellie) and Pedro Pascal (Joel) will reprise their lead roles.
The Last of Us is set 20 years after modern civilization has been destroyed and centers on the relationship between Joel, a smuggler in this new world, and Ellie, a teenager who may be key to a cure for a deadly pandemic. Joel, a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle the 14-year-old girl out of an oppressive quarantine zone. What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal, heartbreaking journey as they traverse the U.S. and depend on each other for survival.
Season 1's cast also featured Gabriel Luna as Tommy, Anna Torv as Tess, Nico Parker as Sarah, Murray Bartlett as Frank, Nick Offerman as Bill, Melanie Lynskey as Kathleen, Storm Reid as Riley, Merle Dandridge as Marlene, Jeffrey Pierce as Perry, Lamar Johnson as Henry, Keivonn Woodard as Sam, Graham Greene as Marlon, Elaine Miles as Florence, Ashley Johnson as Anna, and Troy Baker as James.
Production on the second season is scheduled to begin next month in Vancouver, since a significant part of the story in The Last of Us Part II game is set in the Pacific Northwest.
The Last of Us is written and executive produced by Mazin and Druckmann. Carolyn Strauss, Evan Wells, Asad Qizilbash, Carter Swan, and Rose Lam also executive produce.
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