The Last of Us Season 3 Adds John Goodman, Laura Bailey, and Ian Alexander; Day Celebrations Planned

The Last of Us Season 3 has added three cast members to its roster. John Goodman will play Joey, a character original to the HBO adaptation. Ian Alexander, who voiced Lev in The Last of Us Part 2, will play Paco, described as part of a friendly duo with Goodman's character. Laura Bailey, who previously voiced Abby in the video game, will portray Elizabeth, a leader of the Seraphite cult.

Goodman is known for his roles in Roseanne and The Righteous Gemstones. Alexander and Bailey both have prior connections to the franchise through the video games. Alexander's character Lev was a boy whom Abby helped rescue from the Seraphite cult in Part 2. Bailey voiced Abby and also voices Mary Jane Watson in Insomniac's Spider-Man games.

The upcoming season will shift perspective to focus on Abby's story, with Kaitlyn Dever portraying the character. Other confirmed cast members include Kyriana Kratter as Lev and Michelle Mao as Yara. The season may be the final installment of the video game adaptation.

Meanwhile, Naughty Dog announced The Last of Us Day celebrations this week. The developer is pausing festivities until Monday, September 28, when it will host a charity stream on Twitch. The company teased "a partnership announcement, a very cool collaboration, digital surprises, and more" for the occasion. These announcements are likely to include merchandise and digital items such as PlayStation Network avatars.

Season 2 of the HBO series received a more mixed reception than its predecessor. Neil Druckmann, Naughty Dog's head and the original creator of The Last of Us franchise, has stepped back from the television series to focus on the completion of Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet for PlayStation 5.