With The Last of Us Season 2 now wrapped up, fans are already asking the big question: how many more seasons are we getting? Is Season 3 the end? Will Ellie’s story be fully told soon? According to the people behind the show, the answer is not yet. And probably not even close.
In an interview with Collider on May 19, co-creator Craig Mazin opened up about what’s next for the HBO hit, and his comments give us a pretty good idea of how much story is still ahead. First off, he hinted that Season 3 is likely going to be longer than Season 2. “I think there’s a decent chance that Season 3 will be longer than Season 2,” he said. This means we could be getting more episodes or more detailed storytelling in each one, possibly both.
Mazin also touched on why they can’t slow things down too much anymore. In Season 1, we got quieter, emotional side stories like Bill and Frank’s beautiful episode, which took us away from the main plot for a bit. But in Season 3, that kind of detour might not fit anymore, mainly because Joel’s death is such a major turning point. “The thing about Joel’s death is that it’s so impactful,” Mazin explained. “It’s such a narrative nuclear bomb that it’s hard to wander away from it. We can’t really take a break and move off to the side and do a Bill and Frank story.”
Translation: things are too intense now to slow down or take the focus off the main characters. The story is heavy, emotional, and charging forward.
Is The Last of Us season 3 the final season?
Now to the biggest part, will Season 3 be the final season? According to Mazin, probably not. He was very clear about that. “There’s no way to complete this narrative in a third season,” he said. The current plan, he shared, is to hopefully get a fourth season to properly finish the story. “Hopefully, we’ll earn our keep enough to come back and finish it in a fourth. That’s the most likely outcome.”
At the moment, HBO hasn’t officially renewed The Last of Us for Season 4. But considering how successful and popular the show has been, and how invested both the audience and the creators are, it seems likely they’ll greenlight it sooner rather than later. If all goes well, Season 3 won’t be the end, just the next intense chapter before the final act.
So, in short, expect a bigger Season 3, don’t expect the series to wrap up anytime soon, and cross your fingers for a powerful fourth season to bring this unforgettable story to a close.