It's been confirmed that Danny Ramirez is not reprising his role in The Last of Us season 3. But why did he decide to exit the series?
Following the successful airing of the second season earlier this year, HBO and Craig Mazin are currently working on a third season, with production likely to begin sometime next year. Fans are anticipating what they have in store for the show's next chapter, especially as they explore more of the storylines from the video game sequel.
Why Danny Ramirez Left The Last of Us Ahead of Season 3
According to a report from Deadline, Ramirez had to drop out of The Last of Us ahead of the third season due to "scheduling conflicts."
No specific reason was cited for what kind of scheduling conflict Ramirez has that prevented him from returning as Manny Alvarez in the hit HBO show's third season.
It is more likely that Ramirez will be busy filming Avengers: Secret Wars next year, where he is expected to play his MCU role of Joaquin Torres/Falcon, which is why he won't be available for the third season. He is also attached to star in a Todd Haynes gay romance movie titled De Noche, alongside Pedro Pascal.
So far, no casting decision has been made on the new actor who will take over Ramirez's character in the upcoming third season.
While Manny Alvarez did not have a lot of screen time in the second season, Ramirez's performance still made a great impression among the fans, and the second season finale suggested that the character would have more spotlight in the third season.
What to Expect in The Last of Us Season 3
The third season of The Last of Us will cover the second half of The Last of Us Part II video game, particularly from the perspective of Kaitlyn Dever's Abby. It was teased in the final scene of the second season finale.
"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," Craig Mazin teased in an interview last May 2025.
However, Neil Druckmann will not be involved as a co-showrunner as he has stepped back from the position after the renewal announcement. He will continue to serve as an executive producer. He left to focus on his projects at Naughty Dog.
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