Is Abby in The Last of Us TV show? Florence Pugh rumours explained

After all, it does look like game-creator Neil Druckmann and his co-showrunner Craig Mazin are open to weaving in elements that weren't in the original game. For example, we know they've cast Storm Reid as Riley, a character that wasn't seen in the games until the post-launch Left Behind DLC.

So, if one character that wasn't in the original Last of Us game can make it into the first season of the show, why can't we hope for another? Read on to find out more.

Is Abby in The Last of Us TV show?

Although you can never rule out a major surprise in this era of television, we feel fairly confident in saying that Abby is not in the first season of The Last of Us TV show.

What's the main reason we're not expecting Abby to play a major role in season 1, you ask? No casting for this character has been announced by HBO, which means it would be a huge shock if she did turn up.

Plenty of other actors have been confirmed for roles in season 1, even though their characters did not feature in the first episode, including Nick Offerman as Bill and Storm Reid as Riley. Why keep Abby a secret and not the rest of them?

Given that the show was filmed largely on location in Calgary, Canada, we think it would've leaked by now if an obvious Abby was walking around on set. It would be harder for this show to keep a secret that big compared to, say, the studio-filmed Star Wars shows that can usually keep their surprise cameos hidden from the public eye.

Also, from a narrative point of view, players of the games will know that Abby's part in Joel and Ellie's story doesn't kick into action until the concluding moments of the original game. Abby's whole arc is a reaction to the first game's conclusion, which would make it a bit weird to see her earlier on.

When the show's co-showrunner Craig Mazin spoke to RadioTimes.com and other press prior to the launch of the show, he strongly implied that the first season of the series will focus on the first game in the franchise (which was recently rebranded as The Last of Us Part 1).

Mazin said: "So to me, the narrative of the first game was gorgeous, it was complete, it deserved a season, we knew how to do it within a season. And so that was was kind of a no brainer." With that in mind, we wouldn't expect to see Abby until The Last of Us season 2 (if a second run does become a reality).

Will Florence Pugh play Abby in The Last of Us?

You may have seen articles and social media posts that link the role of Abby to Florence Pugh, the film star known for Black Widow, Midsommar, Don't Worry Darling, Little Women and many more high-profile movies.

Just to be super clear with you, we can't stress enough that no actor has yet been announced to play Abby in The Last of Us TV show. This is not a role that Florence Pugh has been officially confirmed for at this moment in time.

For now, this is just a fan-casting; a piece of wishful thinking that seems to be shared by rather a lot of fans online. Although the trend/rumour has re-emerged in recent days, Twitter users have actually been suggesting Pugh for the role since 20th June 2020, the day after the second Last of Us game was released in all its Abby-introducing glory.

That being said, for every Tweet about Pugh being perfect for the role of Abby, you can also find one that says the opposite. Some gamers would prefer someone more muscular, like a body builder, given the physique that Abby has in the game. Of course, that complaint ignores the fact that Pugh would likely train for the role if she did get it.

And let's remember that no one person on the planet looks exactly like Abby from the game. The character's performance was provided by Laura Bailey, while Jocelyn Mettler was the face model and Colleen Fotsch was the body model. At the casting stage, we'd say it's more important to match the character's spirit than to be their physical dead ringer.

Is it possible that Pugh will actually play this role on TV? We wouldn't say it was outside the realm of possibility. Pugh has already shown her willingness to appear on the small screen, having reprised her Black Widow role in the Hawkeye Disney Plus series, so it's not exactly a stretch to imagine her on HBO.

Plus, Pugh is a big name with plenty of star power that would give the second season an uptick of publicity/interest if she did get cast. As an actor, she has an impressive range, and it would definitely be interesting to see her with Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey in the show.

Only time will tell if this comes to pass, but we'll be sure to keep you updated either way. Here's hoping that season 2 is announced soon. That'll really send the speculation into overdrive.

Read more on The Last of Us:

• The Last of Us TV show review - why it's worth watching
• The Last of Us TV show changes - creators talk deviations
• The Last of Us meets The Mandalorian - Pedro Pascal on similarities
• The Last of Us film - why Sam Raimi movie died
• The Last of Us PS5 - versions and consoles explained
• The Last of Us fans think they know how the infection spreads

The Last of Us is streaming weekly on Sky Atlantic and streaming service NOW.

Check out more of our Sci-fi coverage or visit our TV Guide to find out what's on this week.

Try Radio Times magazine today and get 12 issues for only £1 with delivery to your home — subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to the Radio Times View From My Sofa podcast.