Isabela Merced cast as Dina in HBO’s The Last of Us adaptation

Actress Isabela Merced will play Dina in The Last of Us Season 2.

The show describes Dina’s character as “a free-wheeling spirit whose devotion to Ellie will be tested by the brutality of the world they inhabit.”

“Dina is warm, brilliant, wild, funny, moral, dangerous and instantly lovable,” said series co-creators and executive producers Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann in a statement following news of Merced’s casting.

“You can search forever for an actor who effortlessly embodies all of those things, or you can find Isabela Merced right away. We couldn’t be prouder to have her join our family.”

Meanwhile, on X, The Last of Us Part 2 studio Naughty Dog said it could not wait to see the actress’ portrayal of Dina on the show’s release.

Merced, whose acting credits include a lead role in Nickelodeon’s 100 Things to Do Before High School, joins Bella Ramsey’s Ellie, Pedro Pascal’s Joel, Kaitlyn Dever’s Abby and Young Mazino’s Jesse for the second season of The Last of Us.

Filming for the show’s second season is expected to kick off next month in Canada, ahead of a release in 2025.

The first season of The Last of Us recently scooped itself eight Emmy awards, including picture editing, main title design, prosthetic makeup, sound editing, sound mixing, and visual effects.

In addition, Storm Reid won the award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series and Nick Offerman won the award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series. The actors played Ellie’s friend Riley and survivor Bill respectively.