The Last of Us Season 3 is bringing in a major new figure who does not come from the Naughty Dog games, with Peter Sarsgaard set to play Amon, a leading member of the Seraphites. HBO has found another way to make its apocalypse even less relaxing.
Who is Peter Sarsgaard playing in Season 3?
According to Deadline, Peter Sarsgaard has been cast as Amon, a newly created character described as “one of the leaders of the Seraphites.” That makes him a meaningful addition, since the Seraphites are expected to matter more as the show moves deeper into Abby’s side of the story.
Sarsgaard is no stranger to playing morally rotten men with calm faces, which is useful casting when your character is likely aligned with one of the franchise’s most feared groups. He recently appeared as a corrupt district attorney in The Batman, and previously played villain Hector Hammond in Green Lantern. He also leaned into antagonist territory in The Magnificent Seven.
Amon is not a character from the games, so his role gives the HBO adaptation room to reshape or expand the Seraphite material without being locked to an exact playable sequence.
Why the Seraphites matter to Abby’s story
The Seraphites, also known as the Scars, are a religious cult in The Last of Us universe. They follow the teachings of a deceased prophet, reject modern technology, and are known for brutal methods against their enemies.
Season 3 is expected to put Abby at the center, and her game storyline brings the Seraphites sharply into view. That makes Amon’s introduction more than a simple casting footnote. A new leader inside the cult could give the show a clearer human face for the threat, or at least a more specific one than “people with knives and a very severe lifestyle philosophy.”
The series has already shown a willingness to adjust the games where the writers see dramatic value. Adding a major original character suggests HBO is widening the conflict around Abby rather than simply restaging it.
What is changing behind the scenes?
Season 3 also arrives with a notable shift in leadership. Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann served as co-showrunners on the first two seasons, but Druckmann, who created the original game, is not involved in the same role for the new season. Mazin is now handling showrunner duties alone.
That change matters because The Last of Us has always walked a careful line between adaptation and reinvention. The first two seasons had the game’s creator directly embedded in the show’s top creative team. Season 3 will still be rooted in the same source material, but the balance of control is different.
Introducing Amon under Mazin’s solo watch will likely be one of the first clear signs of how the series intends to handle that next phase.
When will Season 3 arrive?
The Last of Us films in Vancouver, but production is currently on a month-long hiatus because of the World Cup beginning in Canada this week. Shooting is expected to resume in July and continue through the end of the year.
If that schedule holds, Season 3 is being lined up for a 2027 broadcast.
For viewers, the bigger question is not only when the show returns, but how it handles the emotional weight of Abby’s story. The second season left the series in a place where perspective matters as much as survival. Bringing in Sarsgaard as a new Seraphite leader suggests the next chapter will not be short on pressure, conflict, or people convinced they are absolutely right. Always a calming combination.
