The Last of Us Season 3 adds John Goodman as two game favourites return in new roles

The Last of Us has added John Goodman to its Season 3 cast alongside two performers with major connections to the original games, as HBO expands the characters surrounding its next chapter.

John will play Joey, while Ian Alexander joins as Paco. The pair are new characters created for the television series and are described as a friendly duo who call themselves the “Heroes of the Highway.” 

Ian already has an important history with The Last of Us, having played Lev in The Last of Us Part II. Lev is portrayed by Kyriana Kratter in the television adaptation, meaning Ian is returning to the franchise in a completely different role.

Laura Bailey is making a similar switch after originating the role of Abby in the game. Kaitlyn Dever plays Abby in the HBO series, while Laura will instead appear as Elizabeth, one of the leaders of the Seraphites. 

Laura has actually crossed into the television adaptation before, making a masked appearance as one of the nurses during the Season 1 finale. Her new role will be considerably more substantial as the Seraphites become increasingly important to the story.

Season 3 is expected to place greater attention on Abby following the events of Season 2, reflecting the shifting perspectives that are central to The Last of Us Part II. The arrival of Elizabeth strengthens that side of the story, while Joey and Paco give even viewers who know the game two characters whose paths they cannot predict.

John also brings another major name into the HBO drama following roles across Roseanne, The Conners, The Righteous Gemstones, The Big Lebowski and 10 Cloverfield Lane. Unlike many of the characters already established in the series, Joey has no direct counterpart in the games.

HBO has not yet announced an exact premiere date for Season 3, leaving plenty still to be revealed about how the newcomers will fit alongside the returning cast.