Actress Kaitlyn Dever, cast as Abby in The Last of Us Season 2, acknowledges the difficulty of ignoring online reactions to her role. The character of Abby has been a target of significant online toxicity, with harassment directed at Naughty Dog employees, including Neil Druckmann and Laura Bailey, extending to threats and abuse against Bailey's family. HBO took these reactions seriously, providing Dever with additional security during filming. Isabel Merced, who plays Dina, commented on the disturbing reality of fans directing hate towards a fictional character: "There's so many strange people in this world because there are people that actually genuinely hate Abby, who is not a real person. Just a reminder: not a real person."
The Last of Us Season 2 Character Posters
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In a ScreenRant interview, Dever addressed the anticipation surrounding her portrayal of Abby, admitting, "Well, it's hard not to see those things on the internet… It's hard not to stop myself from looking at it every once in a while, especially going into this, for sure. And I want to do this character justice and make the fans proud by bringing her to life in this kind of way." However, she prioritized collaboration with Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin, focusing on understanding Abby's core motivations, emotional state, and the complexities of her anger, frustration, and grief.
The Last of Us Season 2 Cast: Who's New and Coming Back to the HBO Show?
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Neil Druckmann explained to Entertainment Weekly that the HBO adaptation diverges from the game's portrayal of Abby's physique. Dever's casting was praised, with Druckmann stating, "We would've struggled to find someone as good as Kaitlyn to play this role. In the game, you have to play both [Ellie and Abby] and we need them to play differently. We needed Ellie to feel smaller and kind of maneuver around, and Abby was meant to play more like Joel in that she's almost like a brute in the way she can physically manhandle certain things… That doesn't play as big of a role in this version of the story because there's not as much violent action moment to moment. It's more about the drama." Craig Mazin added, "I personally think there is an amazing opportunity here to delve into someone who is perhaps physically more vulnerable than the Abby in the game, but whose spirit is stronger. And then the question is: 'Where does her formidable nature come from and how does it manifest?' That's something that will be explored now and later."
The mention of "now and later" hints at HBO's intention to adapt The Last of Us Part II beyond a single season. Mazin previously indicated the game's extensive narrative, suggesting a potential Season 3, although not yet confirmed. Season 2, however, is structured with a "natural breakpoint" after seven episodes.
