Bella Ramsey ‘unbothered’ by The Last of Us trolls
HBO's The Last of Us is crawling toward its second season, but thanks to writer strikes and the likes, we know Season 2 won't be here until at least 2025. Following the show's breakout debut at the start of 2023, it quickly cemented itself as one of the greatest video game adaptations of all time.
While most agreed Game of Thrones alumni Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey were perfectly cast as a live-action Ellie and Joel, there was a vocal minority that weren't fans of the series. In particular, Ramsey faced some unwarranted criticism, with everything from their acting to their aesthetic coming under fire.
Bella Ramsey 'unbothered' by The Last of Us trolls
Click to enlargeJust like the characters they play on-screen, it looks like it takes a lot to phase Ramsey. Identifying as nonbinary, Ramsey says they don't mind what pronouns are used but opted for they/them in their latest with The Independent. Here, they dished all on the troubles of trolls.
Discussing the venom sure to be thrown their way in Season 2, Ramsey explained they're "unbothered" by trolls but expect more. "Whatever decision is made by the creators, there's gonna be opinions," says Ramsey. "It's quite nice to just have that level of distance from it now."
When Naughty Dog released The Last of Us Part II in 2020, the long-awaited sequel was struck by a vicious campaign of sexism and transphobia. Alongside THAT shocking character death, characters like Abby Anderson and the transgender Lev were particularly divisive.
With The Last of Us Season 2 tipped to adapt some of the game (expecting to span multiple seasons), it seems Ramsey is bracing for a similar backlash. After all, we saw the acclaimed Bill and Frank episode get review-bombed in Season 1.
What do we know about The Last of Us Season 2?
Click to enlargeAside from the return of Pascal and Ramsey, there's the rumoured casting of Justified's Kaitlyn Dever as the antagonistic Abby. Ellie might've met her match, but Ramsey says they're excited to get into the more physical side of the story - hinting at a buffed-up version of Ellie.
Rasmey has also said they're excited to see Ellie's lesbian storyline with Dina play out, backing up the theory that the mystery "staring girl" (Paolina van Kleef) seen in Season 1 is her. At least we know this isn't the end of the story, and with Part II being a much bigger game, it can't be told over one season.
Although nothing is set in stone, showrunner Craig Mazin has pencilled in the magic number of four seasons for The Last of Us. We know there's no interest in extending the series beyond the series of the games, meaning Part II could be told across three whole seasons. Well, that's plenty of content for the haters to troll.
