Highlights
- Kaitlyn Dever has been cast as Abby in HBO's The Last of Us season 2, sparking controversy due to her appearance.
- Artist Rafael Caban created an image imagining Dever in the role, showcasing her in a muscular and intimidating pose.
- While some fans are unsure if Dever can embody Abby's physicality, her acting abilities and vengeful aura are not in question.
Kaitlyn Dever has been cast as Abby in HBO's The Last of Us season 2, and one fan decided to put their artistic talents to work, giving fans what may be a pretty spot-on look at this tragic character's highly-anticipated live-action debut.
The Last of Us became the surprise hit of HBO's 2023 as it captivated audiences with its remarkably accurate and powerful adaptation of the Naughty Dog video game. Late last year, rumors began to circulate that Booksmart and Justified star Dever would play deuteragonist Abby in The Last of Us season 2 before those rumors ultimately turned out to be true. But while few disputed the actress' range in playing such a complicated character, many pointed out that they couldn't see her in such a buff, muscular role.
That's where artist Rafael Caban comes in. They recently posted a stylized yet striking piece to their Instagram, imagining Dever fully in the role of Abby. This included effectively redrawing one of the most iconic images depicting Abby, showing her in a fighting pose wielding a hammer and the sort of look that would shake any duelist's confidence. Only now, fans get to see what Dever might look like after a few months at the gym preparing for the role. Frankly, it works.
Abby is an oft-misunderstood character in the Naughty Dog video game The Last of Us Part II. Voiced in the video game by Laura Bailey and modeled after the face and body of Jocelyn Mettler and Colleen Fotsch, respectively, her goal was that of single-minded revenge for one particular moment in the first game. Some fans griped about her for this and her appearance, effectively missing the point (and perhaps proving it in many cases). But most saw how deep of a character she was, praising Naughty Dog for its writing and storytelling surrounding her. It could even be argued that Abby needs to be buff in The Last of Us season 2 to stay true to her character.
That's where some are unsure about Dever taking the role. Again, practically nobody is questioning her acting ability. The Booksmart star was even a top fan pick to play Ellie on HBO's The Last of Us before Bella Ramsey won the part. The only issue with some audience members is that Dever isn't exactly known for playing bigger, buff characters like Abby. However, if the questionable Zachary Levy can play the muscular title role in Shazam! after his previous tenure as the nerdy and unimposing main character on the TV show Chuck, surely someone like Dever can embody the spirit of beef for her role. All it takes is a good personal trainer and more money than most people will see in a decade's pay. Easy.
So, hopefully, Caban's artwork can help fans visualize just how well Dever can fit into the Abby role. As seen in Justified, she's got the vengeful vibe down already, so that part was never in question. She can help keep The Last of Us trending after already providing some of the best TV moments in 2023.
The Last of Us season 1 is available to stream on Max.
The Last Of Us
Based on Naughty Dog's popular PlayStation game, HBO's The Last of Us takes place decades after a fungal infection eradicated most of humanity. When a teenage girl named Ellie is found to be immune to the disease, Joel agrees to smuggle her across the United States.
- Release Date
- January 15, 2023
- Creator
- Craig Mazin, Neil Druckmann
- Main Genre
- Horror
- Network
- HBO Max
Source: justralphy/Instagram
