Kaitlyn Dever on 'The Last of Us' Season 2: 'Hard to Ignore Internet Buzz'

Actress Kaitlyn Dever, who portrays Abby in the highly anticipated second season of HBO's *The Last of Us*, has openly discussed the challenges she faces with internet reactions to her character. Abby, a pivotal character from the original game, has been at the center of intense fan debates and, unfortunately, toxic behavior from some quarters. This toxicity has extended to real-life harassment of Naughty Dog employees, including threats against Neil Druckmann and actress Laura Bailey, who voiced Abby in the game. The severity of the situation led HBO to provide Dever with additional security during filming.

Isabel Merced, who plays Dina in Season 2, highlighted the absurdity of the backlash, stating, "There's so many strange people in this world because there are people that actually genuinely hate Abby, who is not a real person. Just a reminder: not a real person." This sentiment underscores the disconnect between the fictional world of the game and the real-life impact of fan reactions.

The Last of Us Season 2 Character Posters

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In a candid interview with ScreenRant, Dever admitted the difficulty of avoiding online commentary about her role. "Well, it's hard not to see those things on the internet," she said. She emphasized her commitment to doing justice to Abby's character, focusing on the emotional depth and motivations that drive her. "But my main focus was just the collaboration between Neil and Craig [Mazin], 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," Dever explained.

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Last month, Neil Druckmann, co-creator of the game and show, clarified that the HBO adaptation would not portray Abby as the muscular figure seen in the game. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly alongside fellow showrunner Craig Mazin, Druckmann explained that Abby's physicality was less crucial in the show due to different storytelling priorities. "In the game, you have to play both [Ellie and Abby] and we need them to play differently. We needed Ellie to feel smaller and kind of maneuver around, and Abby was meant to play more like Joel in that she's almost like a brute in the way she can physically manhandle certain things," Druckmann said. He emphasized that the series focuses more on drama than on the constant action of the game.

Mazin added his perspective on Abby's portrayal, suggesting a deeper exploration of her character. "I personally think there is an amazing opportunity here to delve into someone who is perhaps physically more vulnerable than the Abby in the game, but whose spirit is stronger. And then the question is: 'Where does her formidable nature come from and how does it manifest?' That's something that will be explored now and later," he stated.

The mention of "now and later" hints at HBO's plans to stretch the story of *The Last of Us Part 2* across multiple seasons. While Season 3 has not been officially confirmed, Mazin has indicated that Season 2 will end with a "natural breakpoint" after just seven episodes, paving the way for future installments to continue Abby's complex journey.