There was never any doubt: the creators of The Last of Us say they didn’t consider recasting Ellie for even a second. Season two premieres this Monday in Hungary on Max.

Just like the video game, the second season of The Last of Us is set five years after the events of the first. That time jump led some fans to wonder whether the role of Ellie might be handed to an older actress. But the showrunners say the idea never came up — not even once.

Replacing Bella Was Never on the Table

Neil Druckmann, the co-creator of the series and original game, made it clear: “We considered recasting Bella [Ramsey] by exactly 0%.”

“I’ve spent a lot of time with her and seen her grow up. She was 17 when we started, now she’s 21. That may not sound like much, but at that age, it’s a big shift. Ellie has evolved, and so has our relationship. What once felt like a father-daughter bond has matured. You have to start letting go. That’s why Ellie feels older — because Bella is. In fact, she’s older than Ellie is in the series,” added Craig Mazin in an interview with GamesRadar.

Mazin, who also worked on the troubled Borderlands film, emphasized that the casting was never about looks: “For us, it wasn’t about physical appearance. It was about soul and authenticity. Bella nailed it. We didn’t make her look older — we wrote it that way, and she just delivered.”

Druckmann agreed: “When Bella acts, her eyes are mature. That’s what makes Ellie feel real.”

In a separate interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Mazin asked viewers to trust the process: “Once they see what happens, I think they’ll feel the difference.”

Season two lands on Max this Monday, April 14, in Hungary. According to 3DJuegos, all seven episodes have already been screened for the press.

It’s worth noting that HBO hasn’t adapted the entire story of The Last of Us Part II in this season. A third season is already in development, and a fourth seems likely. After that, Mazin has said he will step away — regardless of whether a third game ever happens.

Source: 3djuegos