Jorge Lendeborg Jr. has officially joined the cast of Season 3 of HBO’s The Last of Us, stepping into the role of Manny. As the series shifts its lens toward the perspective of Abby Anderson, this pivotal casting change marks a new chapter for the Washington Liberation Front.
A Change of Guard for Manny
Today news broke that the role of Manny, a loyal soldier of the Washington Liberation Front (WLF), has been recast ahead of the production of Season 3. Jorge Lendeborg Jr.—best known for his roles in Bumblebee, Love, Simon, and the MCU Spider-Man trilogy—will take over the mantle from Danny Ramirez.
The decision to recast comes down to a classic Hollywood hurdle: scheduling conflicts. Ramirez, who appeared briefly as Manny in Season 2, has a packed 2026 slate, including his central role as Joaquin Torres (the new Falcon) in Marvel Studios’ upcoming Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. While Ramirez’s departure is bittersweet for fans, Lendeborg Jr. is a seasoned talent who brings a perfect blend of vulnerability and grit to the role of Abby’s sharp-shooting best friend and protector.
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What to Expect from ‘The Last of Us’ Season 3
Following the massive success of Season 2 (which won Best Adaptation at the 2025 Game Awards), Season 3 is set to be the show’s most ambitious installment yet. Production is slated to begin this March in Vancouver, shooting through November under the working title Mega Sword.
The Shift in Perspective
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Season 3 is shaping up to be the show’s most daring narrative experiment yet. Following the structure of the Part II video game, the new season will feature a backwards time jump to depict the events of “Seattle Day One” from a completely different point of view. While Season 2 followed Ellie (Bella Ramsey) and Dina (Isabela Merced) through their three-day hunt for revenge, Season 3 will rewind the clock to show what Abby (Kaitlyn Dever) and her crew—including Manny—were doing during that exact same window of time.
This “mirrored” storytelling will provide much-needed context for Abby’s journey, exploring her life within the stadium-sized base of the Washington Liberation Front (WLF).
New and Returning Faces
Alongside Lendeborg Jr., Clea DuVall (Poker Face, Veep) has joined the cast in an undisclosed role, rumored to be a high-ranking member of the Seraphites, the religious extremist group at war with the WLF. Returning stars include:
- Kaitlyn Dever as Abby (the season’s primary protagonist)
- Bella Ramsey as Ellie
- Isabela Merced as Dina
- Young Mazino as Jesse
- Pedro Pascal as Joel (appearing in pivotal flashbacks)
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Is This the Final Act?
There is a growing buzz that Season 3 may serve as the series finale—or at least the conclusion of Part II. Showrunner Craig Mazin has hinted that while he initially planned for four seasons, he and the team are working to ensure Season 3 feels “as deeply faithful as Season 1 was.” With Neil Druckmann stepping back from a primary showrunning role to focus on Naughty Dog’s future game projects, Mazin is steering the ship solo for this epic “Abby-centric” chapter.
When Will it Premiere?
HBO chairman Casey Bloys has indicated that fans should prepare for a 2027 release.
