It was recently announced that the character of Abby from the video game The Last of Us would be portrayed by actress Kaitlyn Dever in the HBO television series, and as it turns out, this choice actually follows a preexisting trend for Naughty Dog video-game-to-screen adaptations. The Last of Us is an apocalyptic drama that premiered its first season in 2023. It stars Pedro Pascal as Joel, a man who loses everything after a zombie apocalypse, and in turn, is forced into becoming the protector of a young girl named Ellie, played by Bella Ramsey, who is allegedly immune to the virus.

There are many reasons why audiences are excited for The Last of Us season 2, but one of the biggest is Abby. Abby is a character that originated in The Last of Us video game and has a very exciting and mysterious arc. On the flip side, because Abby is so beloved and appreciated by fans of The Last of Us, her casting was very important. Therefore, when Kaitlyn Dever earned the role, there were countless reactions. Regardless of what audiences think though, Kaitlyn Dever will be appearing as Abby in The Last of Us season 2, and interestingly, this choice is reminiscent of another Naughty Dog adaptation casting.

The Last Of Us Has Cast Kaitlyn Dever As Abby Years After Fans Dreamcast Her As Ellie

What makes Kaitlyn Dever’s casting as Abby special is that, years before The Last of Us became a television series on HBO, fans dreamcast Dever as another character: Ellie. Originally, The Last of Us video game came out in 2013. At that time, Kaitlyn Dever was just entering the acting scene. In that year, Kaitlyn Dever’s movie roles included Krystal in The Spectacular Now and Jayden Cole in Short Term 12. Notably, Dever’s appearance at that time was very similar to the young character of Ellie in The Last of Us video game. In turn, many felt that Dever would be perfect for the role if the game was ever adapted on-screen.

Because The Last of Us was not adapted until a decade after the game was first released, Kaitlyn Dever was ultimately too old to play Ellie. However, the fact that the series brought her in as Abby instead is very exciting. It shows that dreamcasts do not always have to be dreams, and that even if an actor is not in the exact role fans were envisioning, she can still be a part of the project. Overall, Kaitlyn Dever’s participation in The Last of Us was a long time coming, and now that it is happening, it is very satisfying.

The Last Of Us Season 2’s Abby Casting Continues A Naughty Dog Adaptation Trend

Although Kaitlyn Dever’s The Last of Us season 2 casting after she was dreamcast as Ellie may seem miraculous, this isn’t the first time something like this has happened with Naughty Dog video game adaptations. In 2022, another Naughty Dog video game was adapted into a movie: Uncharted. The story follows a treasure hunter who recruits an intelligent young man to help him recover a 500-year-old lost fortune. Originally, when the Uncharted video game came out in 2007, fans wanted Mark Wahlberg to play the young Nathan Drake. However, because he was too old to portray the character in 2022, Wahlberg took the role of Victory “Sully” Sullivan instead.

Once again, just like The Last of Us, fans of a video game put together a dreamcast, and though the film adaptation came much later than expected, that same actor was still included in the adaptation, just in a different role. Overall, it is pretty impressive that this phenomenon has happened twice, especially at the same video game company. It shows that someone is listening to the fans and trying to make their dreams come true, even if it is not in the exact way that they hoped. Both Kaitlyn Dever and Mark Wahlberg clearly have dedicated fans looking out for them.

Both Video Game Adaptations Prove Fancastings Can Pay Off In Unexpected Ways

In the end, this Naughty Dog trend proves that fancasting is not always a fruitless effort. While many fancasts are entirely ignored by franchises, it seems that Naughty Dog is not only listening, but making things happen. This implies that perhaps one day, if a video game is adapted quick enough, a dreamcast could actually come true in the way it was originally intended. This would be an awesome step forward for video game fans, in the same way that Kaitlyn Dever’s casting is. Ultimately, The Last of Us season 2 will be luckily to have Dever, who already feels like a part of the franchise.