The Last of Us fans have received another blow in the lead-up to season three at the news that one key character is set to be recast.
Danny Ramirez‘s role as Manny – a member of Abby’s (Kaitlyn Dever) tearaway group from the Fireflies rebel militia – will reportedly be recast due to scheduling conflicts.
The 33-year-old actor – who recently went public on his romance with Jessica Alba – joined the HBO post-apocalyptic show in its second season, making his debut during a pivotal episode in which star Pedro Pascal’s Joel met his grizzly fate.
When his casting was announced in 2024, Ramirez’s character Manny was described as ‘a loyal soldier whose sunny outlook belies the pain of old wounds and a fear that he will fail his friends when they need him most’.
The Last of Us fans have been left dismayed by the news, coming hot on the heels of creator Neil Druckmann announcing he will be stepping away from the series.
The news of Ramirez’s recasting set the show’s Reddit threads ablaze, with Harry Wang fearing ‘this whole TV show is falling apart’, particularly after the loss of Druckmann.
A number of fans pointed to Ramirez’s Marvel commitments as Falcon as the likely reason for the scheduling conflicts, while others bemoaned the decision not to film the second and third seasons together, given that they will run straight on from one another, making for a ‘confusing’ shift without Ramirez in the role.
‘It’s truly baffling why you wouldn’t shoot both back to back,’ wrote @slick447, while fans agreed that the second season finale felt like it ended on the note of a season midpoint, rather than a conclusion.
However, others were more upbeat in response to the news, with names punted as possible replacements including Twisters star Anthony Ramos and Narcos: Mexico star Alejandro Edda, who voiced Manny in the video game.
One fan described the news as ‘unfortunate’, but added: ‘On the bright side, at least he was the only character in Abby’s crew that hasn’t been explored very much yet.
‘There hasn’t really been anything to connect with as far as his character goes, so I’m not attached to Danny in the way that I am with Ariela, Kaitlyn or Spencer for example.’
Showrunner Craig Mazin, who will press on ahead solo without Druckmann for season three, addressed possible cast changes for season three earlier this year.
He told Deadline: ‘We haven’t seen the last of Kaitlyn Dever, and we haven’t seen the last of Bella Ramsey, and we haven’t seen the last of Isabela Merced, and we haven’t seen the last of a lot of people who are currently dead in the story.’
Watch The Last of Us on Apple TV, Sky Go, and Amazon Prime Video.
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