The Last of Us season 2 will introduce Dina, a new love interest for Ellie. Actress Isabela Merced is super excited for fans to see what’s in store!

HBO’s The Last of Us instantly became one of the greatest video game adaptations ever when it premiered back in 2022. Starring Pedro Pascal (Joel) and Bella Ramsey (Ellie), the post-apocalyptic series captured the perfect balance of horror, heartbreak and heartfelt moments.

Looking ahead to season 2, the series will begin to adapt Naughty Dog’s video game The Last of Us: Part II. The sequel is a much bigger game than the first and will likely take multiple seasons to cover. And one character who’ll no doubt make a big impression is Dina, a member of the Jackson community where Joel and Ellie settle at the end of season 1. In The Last of Us: Part II, Dina becomes a love interest for Ellie. She’ll be played by Isabela Merced.

Merced has been hard at work on the set of season 2 since production kicked off in February. The filming process is expected to take upwards of a year. It’s a huge undertaking, the biggest production in Canadian history. Speaking to Buzzfeed, Merced assured fans that it’ll be worth the wait. Plus, there’s one scene, in particular, that’ll sweep every trending page on the internet. “It’s really, really exciting,” she said. “There’s a scene in particular that I think is going to be on everyone’s Twitter feed.”

Beware SPOILERS for The Last of Us season 2 below

What could this scene be? One of the most infamous scenes from The Last of Us: Part II video game is Joel’s death scene, which rocked gamers when it happened. Or if Merced is talking about Dina specifically, she could be referring to her relationship with Ellie, which blossoms over the course of the story. We’ll have to wait and see.

Merced also discussed her chemistry with costar Bella Ramsey. The two had not met before she was cast in season 2, and yet they had instant chemistry:

“Bella and I never did a chemistry read. Bella and I never met before we went into The Last of Us, so it was a big risk. And we were aware of that. But ever since watching the first season, I knew I was in good hands with Bella. Bella’s extremely charming, extremely personable, a natural actor. So believable. Like, even if I sucked as an actor, you’re working with someone like that. It’s hard to look bad. I’m really excited.”

The Last of Us season 2 is currently in production. Don’t expect to see it premiere until sometime in 2025. In the meantime, season 1 is currently streaming on Max.