The promotional material for The Last of Us Season 2 has been coming out since last year, and it includes Kaitlyn Dever’s Abby, a new character to be introduced in the sophomore season. Abby features prominently in The Last of Us Part II, an entry in the video game franchise the show is based on. There, she is depicted as a physically strong individual, with her strength serving as an important component of the story. However, series creators Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin confirmed in a new interview that Dever didn’t bulk up for the role and also provided reasons for that.
Neil Druckmann on why Kaitlyn Dever’s Abby isn’t buff in The Last of Us Season 2
Druckmann and Mazin explained in a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly why Kaitlyn Dever didn’t bulk up to play Abby in The Last of Us Season 2. Druckmann told the outlet that while casting for Season 2, they prioritized “performance over anything else.” He added, “We need someone to really capture the essence of those characters… We don’t value as much, ‘Do they look exactly like the character with their eyebrows or their nose or their body?’ Whatever it is. It’s not nowhere on the priority list, but it’s below a bunch of other things that we consider.”
Druckmann stated they would have “struggled” to find another actress who would be as good as Dever while appearing that she could “physically manhandle certain things.” He further elaborated, “That doesn’t play as big of a role in this version of the story because there’s not as much violent action moment to moment. It’s more about the drama. I’m not saying there’s no action here. It’s just, again, different priorities and how you approach it.”
According to Mazin, the actress’ involvement in the production gave them “an amazing opportunity…to delve into someone who is perhaps physically more vulnerable than the Abby in the game, but whose spirit is stronger.”
The Last of Us Season 2 comes out sometime in April 2025. It takes place five years after the inaugural season and is reportedly an adaptation of parts of The Last of Us Part II.
