Isabela Merced has been cast as Dina in HBO’s The Last Of Us Season 2. She joins other newly-announced cast members, such as Kaitlyn Dever as Abby and Young Mazino as Jesse.

In 2020’s The Last Of Us Part 2, Dina is Ellie’s new romantic interest and Jesse’s ex. Dina is a free-wheeling spirit whose devotion to Ellie will be tested by the brutality of the world they inhabit.

Series co-creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann said:

“Dina is warm, brilliant, wild, funny, moral, dangerous and instantly lovable. You can search forever for an actor who effortlessly embodies all of those things, or you can find Isabela Merced right away. We couldn’t be prouder to have her join our family.”

This marks a reunion for Dever and Merced who starred together in the 2022 movie Rosaline. Merced, known for playing the title role in Dora And The Lost City Of Gold (check out my review here). She will also star in upcoming major movies such as Sony Pictures’ Madame Web, Disney’s Alien Romulus and Warner Bros. Discovery’s  Superman Legacy as Hawkgirl.

The Last Of Us, based on the critically acclaimed video game of the same name developed by Naughty Dog exclusively for the PlayStation platforms, is written and executive produced by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann. The series is a co-production with Sony Pictures Television and is executive produced by Carolyn Strauss, Evan Wells, Asad Qizilbash, Carter Swan, and Rose Lam. Production companies include PlayStation Productions, Word Games, The Mighty Mint, and Naughty Dog.

The Last Of Us takes place 20 years after modern civilization has been destroyed. Joel, a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle Ellie, a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone. What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal and heart-breaking journey as they both must traverse the U.S. and depend on each other for survival.

The cast includes Pedro Pascal as Joel, Bella Ramsey as Ellie, Gabriel Luna as Tommy, Anna Torv as Tess, Nico Parker as Sarah, Murray Bartlett as Frank, Nick Offerman as Bill, Melanie Lynskey as Kathleen, Storm Reid as Riley, Merle Dandridge as Marlene, Jeffrey Pierce as Perry, Lamar Johnson as Henry, Keivonn Woodard as Sam, Graham Greene as Marlon, and Elaine Miles as Florence. Ashley Johnson and Troy Baker also star.

Courtesy of HBO Asia, we were lucky enough to be the only Malaysian media to participate in interviews with Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, Merle Dandridge and Gabriel Luna. You can also check out our spoiler-free review of the entire season by heading over here.

The Last Of Us Part 2 is out now for the PS4. In the meantime, check out my full spoiler-free review of the game here, or head on over here for a guide and tips for the game. If you’ve already played the game, then I suggest checking out my 4000-word spoilerific article on why I believe the hate for the game isn’t justified.