Spoiler Warning: There are some major spoilers for both seasons of The Last of Us below, so be warned if you aren’t all caught up on HBO or with a Max subscription.
After seven physically and emotionally grueling episodes, The Last of Us’ Season 2 finale left audiences on the edge of their seats with that massive cliffhanger involving Bella Ramsey’s Ellie and Kaitlyn Dever’s Abby. Now that the show has come and gone from the 2025 TV schedule and the waiting begins for The Last of Us’ Season 3 premiere date, I think I know where the series is going, at least in terms of story.
If it’s anything like the 2020 PlayStation exclusive on which it is based, the upcoming video game adaptation is about to tell the other part of the game’s split narrative, meaning we’re about to see a whole other version of Abby and meet one of the franchise’s most beloved characters, Lev. This well-written and developed character, a trans Seraphite who helps Abby on her journey, is one I cannot wait for the show to introduce, and I have a pretty obvious choice to play them when it returns…
Ian Alexander, Who Played Lev In The Last Of Us Part II, Is A No-Brainer Choice For Season 3
Ian Alexander, a non-binary actor who has appeared on shows like The OA, Star Trek: Discovery, and Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, served as the voice and likeness of Lev throughout The Last of Us Part II. Giving one of the game’s most nuanced yet unforgettable performances, Alexander added so much heart and depth to their portrayal of a young Seraphite caught between two worlds.
I think this is a “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it” type of situation when it comes to portraying Lev, so having Alexander return for the live-action adaptation of the second half of The Last of Us Part II is a no-brainer. If anything, their growth as an actor since doing the motion-capture work more than half a decade ago would be great to see.
Alexander Has Previously Voiced Their Desire To Play Lev Again
Though Lev didn’t show up in The Last of Us Season 2 (we haven’t gotten to Abby’s side of the story just yet), I’m willing to bet we’ll see the character show up very early on when Season 3 premieres sometime down the road. And whenever the character is finally introduced, Ian Alexander has previously said they would love to reprise one of their most famous roles.
When speaking with Business Insider on the red carpet for the Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur premiere back in February 2023, Alexander said their “fingers are crossed” that they would get to reprise their role as the 13-year-old transgender teen shunned by other Seraphites. Now we just need to make this happen.
The Show Has A Brief History Of Having Actors Reprise Their Roles From The Games
Though most of the major characters from the first two seasons of The Last of Us have been played by different actors than in the games, there are a few examples of the actors from the games coming back in the same capacity for the HBO series. In Season 1, Merle Dandridge played Fireflies leader Marlene before the character died in the explosive 2023 finale. Then, the second season saw Jeffrey Wright reprise his role as Isaac, the calm yet cutthroat leader of the W.L.F. (his fate was left unknown).
Interestingly enough, Misty Lee and Phillip Kovats, who provided the motion-capture work for the deadly clickers in The Last of Us games, played infected once more when the show hit the small screen back in 2023.
There are some fears about the future of The Last of Us, especially when it comes to a possible fourth season. However, I cannot wait to see how the next installment unfolds, especially when it comes to the partnership shared by Abby and Lev.
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