John Goodman, Ian Alexander and Laura Bailey join The Last of Us Season 3

HBO has added John Goodman, Ian Alexander and Laura Bailey to the cast of The Last of Us for Season 3, due to premiere in 2027.

Goodman will play Joey. Alexander will play Paco. The pair are a friendly duo who call themselves the "Heroes of the Highway," according to Deadline.

Bailey will play Elizabeth, a leader of the Seraphites, the religious group at the centre of the Seattle conflict. Her casting continues a direct line from game to screen. Bailey voiced Abby in The Last of Us: Part II video game. In the live-action series, Abby is played by Kaitlyn Dever.

The same pattern holds for Alexander. He voiced Lev in The Last of Us: Part II. In the HBO series, Lev is played by Kyriana Kratter. Alexander now steps into the show in a new role, as Paco.

The new names sit alongside other Season 3 additions. Peter Sarsgaard will play Amon, a leader of the Seraphites. Amon is a new character, meaning he did not appear in the video games. Li Jun Li will play Miriam, another Seraphite.

Elsewhere, Jason Ritter will play Hanley, a soldier with the WLF, the militia group fighting the Seraphites. Patrick Wilson will play Jerry, the father of Abby. Jorge Lendeborg Jr will play Manny, taking over the role from Danny Ramirez.

Season 3 will be run by Craig Mazin as sole showrunner, the person in charge of day-to-day creative decisions on a series.

For viewers keeping count, this means much of the next chapter is now in place. The Seattle story brings two armed camps face to face. The new casting fills out both sides, plus Joey and Paco on the road between them.