The 25-year-old nonbinary “Star Trek” star Ian Alexander is joining the third season of “The Last of Us.” According to the U.S. trade publication Deadline, Alexander will join the HBO series alongside Laura Bailey (45) and Emmy-winning John Goodman (74) in the cast. Goodman, who most recently appeared in “The Conners,” plays a character named Joey, while Alexander takes on the role of Paco. The two form a friendly duo who call themselves the “Heroes of the Highway.” These are new characters created exclusively for the HBO series and do not appear in the video game source material. Bailey, meanwhile, portrays Elizabeth, one of the leaders of the Seraphites, a religious sect.
Alexander has previously been known for roles in “The OA” (2016-2019) and “Star Trek: Discovery” (2020-2024). In “Discovery,” the nonbinary actor, who in English uses the pronouns they/them and he/him, played the trans Trill Gray Tal, who was in a relationship with the nonbinary character Adira (Blu del Barrio).
Returning faces from the video game
What’s especially interesting are the casting choices for Alexander and Bailey. Both previously contributed to “The Last of Us Part II.” Alexander voiced the trans man Lev in the game, while Bailey provided Abby’s voice. In the series, these figures will be portrayed by Kyriana Kratter and Kaitlyn Dever. There was criticism in the spring about Kratter’s casting, with concerns that a transgender character would be played by a cisgender actress.
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Instagram | Ian Alexander is also publicly advocating for LGBT rights |
In sum, HBO is thus maintaining its overall commitment to the source material. Merle Dandridge and Jeffrey Wright even appeared on camera in the exact roles they voiced in the game: Dandridge as Fireflies leader Marlene, Wright as Isaac Dixon, head of the WLF militia in Seattle.
Abby moves to the center
There are not yet exact plot details for season three. According to Deadline, however, the story is expected to focus on Abby Anderson, with the Seraphites playing a central role in her storyline, just as in the second half of the video game.
The series, based on the acclaimed Naughty Dog game, is set 20 years after the fall of modern civilization. It began with Joel (Pedro Pascal) smuggling 14-year-old Ellie (Bella Ramsey) out of a quarantine zone. What starts as a small job becomes a brutal cross-country journey across the United States on which the two rely on each other. The second season picked up five years later.
The end may be near
Fans may be looking at a farewell. Casey Bloys, Chairman and CEO of HBO and HBO Max Content, spoke to Deadline in early September after his network’s 21 Emmy wins about the future of the series. He did not confirm that the upcoming season would be the last, but he indicated that he believes Mazin has planned it as the final season.
Mazin developed the series with game creator Neil Druckmann; for season three, he is working as the sole showrunner for the first time. The premiere is planned for 2027.
