HBO has confirmed who’ll be playing Lev and Yara in The Last Of Us season three, but the casting has been met with backlash from some fans.
According to Deadline, Yara will be played by Bridgerton‘s Michelle Mao while Star Wars: Skeleton Crew‘s Kyriana Kratter will play Lev. The siblings are former Seraphite members and, in The Last Of Us Part 2, play a major role in Abby’s story which will be the focus of the upcoming third season of the adaptation.
In the hit video game, Lev is a trans character that was forced to leave the Seraphites due to their gender dysphoria. However, in the HBO show, he will be played by cis actor Kratter which has upset some fans.
correct me if i’m wrong cause i don’t play this game but i thought Lev was a trans boy? are they just erasing the trans storyline? or are we doing a cis woman playing a trans man cause i thought we left that bullshit in like 2000 https://t.co/iQWt4cGzxa
— ash ✿ (@milfsyuri) March 20, 2026
“I feel like it’s pretty tone deaf not to cast a trans male actor for Lev’s role,” wrote one Reddit user. “Trans actors are largely limited to trans roles, that’s just the reality of how Hollywood casts.
“So when one of those rare roles opens up and goes to a cis actor, it’s not just disappointing, it’s the one opportunity that really should have been theirs that goes to someone else. We’re also in a climate where there is an active campaign to target trans people in the west, so while having a trans character is good, it is disappointing for that community not to have someone who is a part of it play that character.”
“While I wish they would’ve casted a trans person for Lev, I understand that specific casting pool is probably small— I’m sure she’ll do great! Lev was the first trans rep I saw that I actually related to. I hope the show treats his character with grace,” said another.
Michelle Mao and Kyriana Kratter have been cast as Yara and Lev, respectively, in The Last of Us Season 3
Via @DEADLINE pic.twitter.com/Rj63UBk6CJ
— The Last of Us News (@TheLastofUsNews) March 20, 2026
“Honesty? I’m not mad. The odds of them finding a 13 to 16 year old asian trans kid to play Lev who is willing to endure the public scrutiny, outrage and harassment that will come from being an out trans kid in the current political climate, would be almost impossible. As much as I would have wanted a trans person to play Lev… it’s just not fucking safe, and I would not wish that scrutiny and danger on anyone” added a third.
The Deadline article confirms that HBO held “an inclusive casting call” for Lev, with “young actors of different backgrounds” auditioning.
The Last Of Us’ Bella Ramsey, who came out as gender-fluid in 2023, said that they used video games to help “explore” their gender identity while musician mxmtoon previously told NME about how The Sims helped her explore her sexuality.
The third season of The Last Of Us is due to launch in 2027 and is rumoured to be the final instalment in the HBO adaptation. After a hugely successful first season, viewership of the season two finale was down 56 per cent compared to season one and there was tension between long-term fans of the game and newcomers to the series over several plot points.
Responding to the backlash, Bella Ramsey said: “People are of course entitled to their opinions. But it doesn’t affect the show, it doesn’t affect how the show continues or anything in any way. They’re very separate things to me. So no, I just don’t really engage. You don’t have to watch it. If you hate it that much, the game exists. You can just play the game again.”
In other news, Minecraft Dungeons, the most successful Minecraft spin-off, is getting a sequel that will launch later this year.
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