Though its second season served to be far more divisive than its first, The Last of Us Season 3 is still one of the more highly anticipated TV series on the horizon, and it’s near the top of the list of upcoming video game adaptations, given the finale’s game-centric cliffhanger ending. Naturally, shock waves reverberated through the fandom when co-creator Neil Druckmann vacated the live-action series, but star Bella Ramsey doesn’t believe his exit will change the show very much.
Druckmann publicly announced his decision to step away from the Last of Us TV series in order to re-devote his creative talents to the latest sci-fi adventure from his game studio Naughty Dog. (Last of Us Part 2 co-writer and episodic staff writer Halley Gross made the same exodus.) Both left before the horror-drama earned its latest Emmy nominations, which sparked concerns about newly lonesome showrunner Craig Mazin will face obstacles bringing Abby’s story to life in Season 3.
Variety about earning their second nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama for their portrayal of Ellie, which marks the first time a non-binary performer has received multiple Emmy noms. Speaking to Druckmann’s decision to bow out ahead of crafting the third season, Ramsey serves as a voice of logic and pragmatism amidst a sea of worried fan reactions, saying:
The Last of Us Part II lays out Abby’s story, Ellie may only be seen in limited doses. In fact, she may only appear as often as Dever’s Abby appeared in Season 2.
Just don’t expect the Emmy-nominated star to reveal those details in full just yet. When asked how much of their beloved protagonist audiences will see, Ramsey replied with:
I sort of know, but I can’t tell you, I’m afraid.
Of course, anything the actor says now could very well be turned on its head by the time Season 3 actually arrives. HBO boss Casey Bloys shared with Variety in mid-July that the cabler is already viewing The Last of Us‘ next outing as a 2027 release, with Mazin in charge of deciding whether or not a fourth season will be required to wrap up the story.
During the long and potentially worry-filled wait for Season 3, the first two Last of Us seasons can be streamed with an HBO Max subscription.