Summary
- Jeffrey Wright is reprising his role of militia leader Isaac Dixon in The Last of Us season 2.
- Wright previously hinted at his potential involvement in the show in February 2024, with his confirmation having him join previous game actors who returned for the show.
- As the leader of the Washington Liberation Front, Isaac is best remembered for being a key antagonist to Abby in The Last of Us Part II , with the latter character set to be the main villain in season 2.
As audiences gear up for the arrival of the menacing Abby, The Last of Us season 2 has found one of her key antagonists with Jeffrey Wright's Isaac. The HBO show based on Naughty Dog's post-apocalyptic video game franchise of the same name proved to be a massive hit upon its January 2023 premiere, garnering widespread acclaim from critics and audiences alike and setting multiple viewership records for both the network and its streaming companion, Max. The Last of Us season 2 began filming in February 2024, expanding its cast to include a multiple of major game characters, including Kaitlyn Dever as Abby.
Variety has brought word that Jeffrey Wright has joined the cast of The Last of Us season 2. Wright, who previously collaborated with HBO on its Westworld show adaptation, will be reprising his role of Isaac Dixon from Naughty Dog's The Last of Us Part II, with the character's show description being "the quietly powerful leader of a large militia group who sought liberty but instead has become mired in an endless war against a surprisingly resourceful enemy." The Oscar nominee previously teased his potential involvement in the show this past February.
Wright's Casting Continues The Show's Best Trend
Isaac's Introduction Also Proves Key To Fleshing Out Abby's Story
With Wright now officially reprising his role of Isaac in The Last of Us season 2, this continues one of the show's best casting tricks in bringing back a number of actors from the games. While much of the show recast its characters, namely Pedro Pascal as Joel and Bella Ramsey as Ellie, co-creators Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin memorably brought back Merle Dandridge as Fireflies leader Marlene in season 1. Furthermore, key game actors Jeffrey Pierce, Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson all made appearances in different roles, with the latter even playing Ellie's mother after playing the heroine in the games.
More than just continuing the nice trend of returning game actors, however, is that the confirmation of Isaac's introduction in The Last of Us season 2 will be a pivotal element for fleshing out Abby's story. Initially taking her and former Fireflies members Manny, Owen, Nora, Mel, Jordan, Nick and Leah into the WLF, he would ultimately become one of the antagonists for Abby in the game, with his ruthless and brutal means of maintaining control over the militia conflicting with her desire to protect her remaining friends after the downfall of the Fireflies at the hands of Joel in the first game.
Though a controversial character for some of her actions, Abby has since been reappraised as something of a tragic villain in the Last of Us games, due to a combination of her dark past as well as her relationship with Isaac. For The Last of Us season 2 to similarly explore these drastically different sides of Dever's character, having such figures as the WLF leader involved not only allows Druckmann and Mazin a better opportunity to deliver a more well-rounded character for Abby. Additionally, with Wright back on board for the role, they have the opportunity to capitalize on his powerful acting skills to deliver compelling character arcs for both Isaac and Abby.
