Production on “The Last of Us” Season 2 is ramping up, and because of that, we’re starting to see HBO and co-creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann start to make casting announcements. Yesterday, we saw the most important new role, Abby, go to Kaitlyn Dever. And today, another major role in Season 2 has been claimed.
READ MORE: ‘The Last of Us’: Kaitlyn Dever To Play Abby In Season 2 Of The Massive HBO Post-Apocalyptic Hit
According to Variety, Young Mazino has landed the role of Jesse in “The Last of Us” Season 2. For those who haven’t played the game, “The Last of Us” tells the story of a post-apocalyptic world where a fungal virus has taken over people’s bodies, effectively turning them into mindless zombies. And there are only sparse groups of survivors still alive. Jesse is a character who is part of one of the remaining human groups and a pivotal person in the story of “The Last of Us Part II,” which Season 2 seems to be largely based on. 
“Young is one of those rare actors who is immediately undeniable the moment you see him,” said Mazin and Druckmann. “We’re so lucky to have him, and we can’t wait for the audience to see Young shine in our show.”
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Mazino is probably best known for his most recent, scene-stealing role in the acclaimed Netflix limited series, “Beef.” Prior to that, he guest starred on a number of TV series, such as “Blue Bloods” and “Prodigal Son.” But it’s clear “The Last of Us” will be his biggest role to date, as it’s one of the most popular, and most acclaimed, shows on TV right now. 
As mentioned, production on Season 2 of “The Last of Us” seems to be gearing up to begin soon enough. That would mean it’s likely that we’re going to see Mazino and the rest of the cast return sometime in early 2025.