The excitement for the second season of *The Last of Us* is palpable, even before its release. The latest trailer for Season 2, unveiled during a SXSW panel, has already amassed over 158 million views across various platforms within just three days, as reported by Warner Brothers Discovery. This achievement marks a record for HBO and Max original programming, with the trailer surpassing previous promos for the show by an impressive "at least 160%."
You can’t stop this.
— Max (@StreamOnMax) March 8, 2025
#TheLastOfUs returns April 13 on Max. pic.twitter.com/DH8UzAugIV
The show's popularity continues to soar, with both new and returning fans eagerly anticipating Season 2. Season 1 episodes are averaging around 32 million cross-platform viewers domestically, a significant increase from the finale's 8.2 million same-day viewers in March 2023, according to Deadline. This surge in viewership indicates a growing enthusiasm for the series, which is one of HBO's most successful in recent times.
The Last of Us Season 2 Character Posters
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Season 2 will feature a five-year time jump, following Joel and Ellie as they navigate a world that's "even more dangerous and unpredictable." Returning stars include Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey, Gabriel Luna, and Rutina Wesley, with new additions such as Kaitlyn Dever, Isabella Merced, Catherine O’Hara, and Jeffrey Wright.
At the SXSW panel, showrunners Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin revealed that "spores are back" in Season 2, after being omitted from the first season. The trailer teases the spores with a scene showing Ellie, portrayed by Bella Ramsey, encountering an infected whose breath releases them.
Druckmann elaborated on the escalation in Season 2, stating, "There is an escalation of numbers and types of infected, but also, as you see in the trailer, an escalation of the vector of how this thing spreads." He highlighted the new approach to infection spread, mentioning the tendrils from Season 1 and the airborne spores featured in the trailer.
Mazin confirmed the return of spores, and Druckmann added, "The reason [we’re doing it now], I mean, we really wanted to figure it out, and again, everything has to be drama. There had to be a dramatic reason for introducing it now. And there is."
*The Last of Us* Season 2 premieres on April 13, 2025, on HBO and HBO Max, promising fans an even more intense and thrilling continuation of the story.
