Summary
The future ofThe Last of Usremains shrouded in mystery, as showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann tease just how long the hit series might continue. After a wildly successful debut in January 2023,The Last of Usis finally returning for its highly anticipated second season and people are wondering how much longer it can go for.
AsThe Last of Usgears up for a second season, Mazin and Druckmann have revealed thatthe series will take a different approach to its timeline. While the first season stayed largely faithful to the original game—to outrageous success, drawing nearly 32 million viewers within its first 90 days across all HBO platforms and 24 Emmy nominations—Season 2 will not follow the exact layout ofThe Last of Us Part 2. Instead, fans can expect some narrative shifts and restructuring. They can also expect to see the return of Pascal and Ramsey, as well as a stacked cast of new faces. Isabela Merced will step into the role of Dina, Kaitlyn Dever will play Abby, and Gabriel Luna will return as Tommy. Additional cast members include Joe Pantoliano, Alanna Ubach, Ben Ahlers, Hettienne Park, Robert John Burke, and Noah Lamanna.
WhileThe Last of UsSeason 2 is poised to capture audiences once again,its long-term future remains uncertain. Mazin and Druckmann have always envisioned the second game’s narrative spanning more than one season, but the exact number of seasons is still up in the air. “It feels like we’ve got one or two more seasons,”Mazin shared withVariety. “It’s getting harder to make, because every episode gets big. You don’t want to wait four years for a 17-episode finish, or whatever it is.” And then there’s the looming question of a potentialThe Last of Us Part 3video game, which could influence the show’s trajectory. “I guess the only thing I would say is don’t bet on there being more ofLast of Us. This could be it,” Druckmann hinted, suggesting that the show’s continuation could be limited.
How Long Will The Last of Us, Well, Last?
Even as Season 2 approaches, Mazin is already feeling the pressure of what comes next. “I’ve been feeling scared lately about like, ‘Oh, yeah, I have to start thinking about Season 3,’” he said. “I remember having this feeling when we were finishing Season 1, where I was like, ‘How the f-ck are we going to top this?’ Now, of course, I’m like, ‘How the f-ck are we going to top this?’”The Last of Us Part 2is significantly larger in scope than the first game, but justhow much of its story will be covered in Season 2is still unclear.
It’s worth noting thatThe Last of UsSeason 2 will have a shorter run than its predecessor, featuring just seven episodes. This shorter episode count could make the possibility of extending the series into two additional seasons more feasible. The showrunners have also teased that the upcoming seasons will includecontent that was originally cut from the game, potentially adding more depth and substance to the storyline.
HBO’sThe Last of UsSeason 2 will begin airing on Sunday, Jul 11, 2025.
