The Last of Us Season 3 Adds Laura Bailey and Ian Alexander

The Last of Us is bringing two performers from the original video games into new live-action roles for Season 3. Laura Bailey and Ian Alexander have joined the HBO drama as the adaptation continues deeper into the story of The Last of Us Part II.

Bailey, who voiced Abby in the 2020 game, will play Elizabeth, a leader within the Seraphites. The religious faction, also known as the Scars, is central to the conflict surrounding Seattle. Alexander, who voiced Lev in the game, has been cast as Paco, one half of a pair described as the “Heroes of the Highway.”

Familiar voices, different characters

The casting follows a pattern the series has used since its first season: performers from the games return without always reprising their original parts. Bailey previously made a brief appearance in the television adaptation, while other game veterans, including Troy Baker, Jeffrey Wright and Merle Dandridge, have also crossed into the HBO version.

For Bailey, the new role creates a link between Abby’s game storyline and the television series’ exploration of the Seraphites. Elizabeth is discussed as a major figure in the game’s history rather than seen directly, giving the adaptation room to expand the faction’s origins and beliefs. Alexander’s Paco is an original character, placing another familiar performer inside material created specifically for television.

Season 3’s ensemble keeps growing

John Goodman is also joining the season as Joey, Paco’s partner in the “Heroes of the Highway” duo. The expanding cast arrives as the show prepares to continue the second game’s large, perspective-shifting narrative, which was not completed within Season 2.

The new assignments also avoid duplicating the show’s existing portrayals. Kaitlyn Dever remains the live-action Abby, while Kyriana Kratter has been cast as Lev. Bailey and Alexander instead contribute to different corners of the story, giving longtime players recognizable creative continuity without displacing the television cast.

Season 3 is expected in 2027. HBO has not yet announced a precise premiere date, so the cast additions offer the clearest current indication of how the next chapter is taking shape: a wider ensemble, more attention to the Seraphites and a deliberate bridge between the games and their television adaptation.