Kaitlyn Dever to star as Abby in HBO’s The Last of Us season two

Booksmart actor cast in apocalyptic drama as vengeful soldier Abby, as TV series creators eschew close physical likenesses to the video game character

She's one of the most controversial video game characters of the last five years, and now her role has been cast for season two of HBO's The Last of Us adaptation. Booksmart and Justified actor Kaitlyn Dever will play vengeful soldier Abby who comes into deadly conflict with the main protagonist, Ellie, throughout video game sequel The Last of Us Part II.

It's another intriguing casting choice by the makers of the TV series, who have eschewed close physical likenesses to the original game characters. Indeed, 27-year-old Dever was a fan favourite to play Ellie when the show was announced, due to her resemblance to the lead character and her short role in Uncharted 4, also developed by The Last of Us creator Naughty Dog. However, the showrunners opted for the younger actor, Bella Ramsey, who more closely matched Ellie in age.