Isabela Merced hypes her chemistry with Bella Ramsey in The Last of Us season 2

The Last of Us season 2 has already confirmed some key cast members for the next batch of episodes, one of them a key pillar of the narrative with Isabela Merced taking on the role of Dina. As players of the games know, and with no game spoilers here, Dina plays a pivotal role in the story of the game The Last of Us Part II which the new season will be based on. Speaking in a new interview, Merced had a major tease for the second season and her role in it, teasing that her instant chemistry with star Bella Ramsey was apparent from the beginning that this is what she’s most excited for fans to see.

“I’m so excited for people to see my chemistry with Bella,” Merced told Collider. “Bella and I have so much chemistry. From the first day, it was there. There’s no work to be done. I really respect Bella. I just saw Catherine Called Birdy and Bella has such range and just an honesty about their work. I’m learning so much. I’m very honored to be here.”

Merced went on to tell the outlet that she was a fan of the TV series and when the potential for joining the cast came up she decided to play The Last of Us Part II, calling it “a lot of fun” and praising it for being so well made.

“When you see the Bloaters, your heart starts racing, your hands are all sweaty, and you can barely hold onto the controller,” Merced added. “It’s just an amazing experience. I consider anything that makes my heart rate go up to be a fun experience, so I enjoyed it. Great work from Neil Druckmann .”.

Regarding how she booked the part in The Last of Us, Merced revealed the she had a “mind-blowing instant connection” with series co-creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann. She added, “By the way, Craig and I have a lot of issues in common. Our brains work faster than our mouths, and I just love that about him. He’s definitely one of my go-tos for a life guru, in general, now.”

Isabele Merced is just one of several key additions to the cast of The Last of Us for season 2 with others including Young Mazino (Beef) as Jesse, another key character for both Bella Ramsey’s Ellie and Isabele Merced’s Dina; plus a whole troop of soldiers that game players will recognize including Danny Ramirez (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier) as Manny, Ariela Barer (How to Blow Up a Pipeline) as Mel, Tati Gabrielle (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina) as Nora, Spencer Lord as Owen, and Kaitlyn Dever (Booksmart) as Abby. Another new addition made to The Last of Us season 2 is comedian Catherine O’Hara who is playing an undisclosed role.

Filming is happening now for The Last of Us season 2, with no official air date in sight for the next batch of episodes. A previous report revealed a March/April 2025 premiere was being targeted by HBO, which would put it two years after the release of the show’s first season.