HBO’s The Last of Us adaptation has found a new face for WLF member Emanuel “Manny” Alvarez, as Jorge Lendeborg Jr. (Spiderman: Homecoming, Bumblebee) will take over the role from Danny Ramirez (Captain America: Brave New World) in the show’s upcoming third season.
As reported by Variety, Lendeborg Jr. will take over the supporting role from Ramirez, who had to be recast due to scheduling issues. In the video game, The Last of Us Part II, Manny was a member of the Washington Liberation Front (WLF) and a former member of the Fireflies, alongside being a close ally to Abby Anderson (played by Kaitlyn Dever in the live-action adaptation).
Additionally, Clea DuVall (Argo, The Grudge) has also joined Season Three as a Seraphite, a member of a primitivist cult and antagonistic faction nicknamed Scars in the game, who were locked in an ongoing conflict with the WLF over the control of Seattle.
Based on the Naughty Dog video game series of the same name, The Last of Us was created by game studio head Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin, although the former exited the role ahead of Season Three to focus on other projects. The show’s third chapter is set to relive the harrowing final days of Season Two from the perspective of Abby, offering a fresh insight into the lives of the WLF members and their battle with the Scars.
Alongside Dever, Lendeborg Jr., and DuVall, Season Three will see a host of returning faces such as Bella Ramsey as Ellie, Isabela Merced as Dina, Gabriel Luna as Tommy, Young Mazino as Jesse, Tati Gabrielle as Nora, Ariela Barer as Mel, Spencer Lord as Owen and Jeffrey Wright as Isaac.
While the show was renewed for Season Three even before the premiere of its second chapter, there have been rumours that the upcoming season will be its last, following comments made by HBO boss Casey Bloys. In an interview with Deadline, when asked if the upcoming season of The Last of Us would be its final one, Bloys responded that, “It certainly seems that way, but on decisions like that, we will defer to the showrunners.”
Although this isn’t a firm confirmation by any means, it’s a pretty clear indication. The Last of Us Season Three is planned for release sometime in 2027, meaning fans will just have to wait and see if these rumours will be quelled or confirmed.
Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise “duds” like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3. He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying.
Joey Leong
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