The Last of Us Season 2: Isabela Merced cast as Dina

Isabela Merced has been cast as Dina in Season 2 of "The Last of Us," joining the acclaimed post-apocalyptic survival drama.

HBO's hit post-apocalyptic survival drama, "The Last of Us," is gearing up for its highly anticipated Season 2 and is continuing to add key players to its cast. The latest addition is Isabela Merced, who has been cast to portray the character Dina in the upcoming season.

According to the series co-creators and executive producers Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, Dina is described as "a free-wheeling spirit whose devotion to Ellie will be tested by the brutality of the world they inhabit." They also added that Dina is warm, brilliant, wild, funny, moral, dangerous, and instantly lovable, and they couldn't be prouder to have Isabela Merced join their family.

Merced's casting follows the recent announcements that Kaitlyn Dever and Young Mazino have also joined the cast to play the characters Abby and Jesse, respectively. These characters, like Dina, were introduced in the 2020 sequel video game "The Last of Us Part II," and their relationships with Ellie are central to the storyline.

Season 2 is expected to pick up after the events of Season 1, which followed grizzled survivor Joel and teenage Ellie on a journey across a U.S. ravaged by a mysterious fungus outbreak. Merced is best known for her roles in films such as "Dora and the Lost City of Gold," "Let It Snow," and "Sweet Girl," and will also be seen in the upcoming Spider-Man spinoff "Madame Web."

The addition of Isabela Merced and the other talented actors to the cast of "The Last of Us" Season 2 has fans eagerly anticipating the continuation of the gripping and intense storyline. With the promise of new characters and developments, the upcoming season is sure to be a must-watch for fans of the series.