Summary
- Kaitlyn Dever acknowledges the online controversy surrounding Abby’s character in The Last of Us Season 2.
- Dever focuses on understanding Abby’s emotions and backstory to bring depth to the character.
- Season 2 may deviate from the game, presenting surprises and potential changes to Abby’s storyline.
The Last of Us Season 2 is almost here, and fans can’t wait to experience fresh trauma all over again. This time around, viewers will get a chance to see some brand new faces, but one of the most anticipated for many is the arrival of Kaitlyn Dever, who will be stepping into the boots of the controversial character Abby Anderson. In Naughty Dog’s game, The Last of Us Part 2, which the second season will be based on, Abby will cause chaos in the lives of Joel (played by Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (played by Bella Ramsey), as well as the world of loved ones associated with both of these beloved characters.
Those who have played the sequel will already know the reception that Abby received when she showed up at one critical part of the game to rain hell upon Joel and Ellie when it was released on June 19, 2020. After coming up against Joel, who was a truly beloved figure in The Last of Us franchise, Abby became a target for many of the game’s players for not only her actions towards Joel but also her muscular physique. Now, as Dever awaits to find out what The Last of Us fandom has in store for her interpretation of the divisive character, the talented actor opens up about seeing Abby’s backlash online.
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Kaitlyn Dever Is Aware of Abby’s Online Controversy
Speaking to ScreenRant in an interview, Kaitlyn Dever discussed the backlash Abby has been getting and whether she was prepared for the possibility of being on the receiving end of it when season 2 of The Last of Us airs. It seems as though Dever has seen all those nasty things people have been saying about Abby online, saying that she found it difficult to not want to read them but instead of focusing on the opinions of fans who disliked Abby due to The Last of Us Part 2, Dever is looking at a more positive way forward. “My main focus was just the collaboration between Neil and Craig and making sure I was really getting to the core of who she is and what drives her and her emotional state; her anger and her frustration and her grief and all of that,” said Dever. “I wanted to make sure that that was what I was focusing most of my energy on.”
It’s hard not to see those things on the internet. It’s hard not to stop myself from looking at it every once in a while, especially going into this, for sure. And I want to do this character justice and make the fans proud by bringing her to life in this kind of way.
As fans have previously learned, The Last of Us season 2 won’t follow The Last of Us Part 2 exactly, meaning that there will be some story changes, so Abby’s controversial scene with Joel might just play out differently or happen at a much later stage. Showrunner Craig Mazin has said that those coming in from the game might think they know what will happen, but there are seemingly big surprises in store. The biggest uproar so far for Dever has been how her physique hasn’t matched Abby’s muscular body, so this is likely a good indicator of further differences from who players know from the game. Either way, I hope The Last of Us fanbase doesn’t give Dever the same awful treatment that Laura Bailey received when the game was released.
The Last of Us season 2 will be released via HBO on Sunday, April 13, 2025.
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The Last Of Us
- Release Date
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January 15, 2023
- Network
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HBO Max
- Showrunner
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Craig Mazin
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Bella Ramsey
Ellie Williams
Source: ScreenRant