Actor Jeffrey Wright is no stranger to a franchise having appeared in The Batman, Westworld, James Bond, and Marvel's What If...? But what you may not know is that there is another big one on that list, as he's also part of the world of The Last of Us. In the 2020 video game sequel The Last of Us Part 2, Wright portrayed former marine turned leader of the Washington Liberation Front (WLF) Isaac Dixon, a character positioned as the secondary antagonist of the story.
The question fans are asking then is could Wright reprise his role on-screen in the hit HBO series? January was certainly a busy month regarding casting announcements for the upcoming second season of the beloved show with the likes of Kaitlyn Dever (Abby), Isabela Merced (Dina), and Young Mazino (Jesse) confirmed to be joining central duo Bella Ramsey (Ellie) and Pedro Pascal (Joel). One character currently missing from that list is Isaac, leading to speculation online that Wright is being potentially lined up for it.
It's something that the actor himself teases is possible, as he revealed in an interview with 12DOVE and the Inside Total Film podcast whilst promoting his new movie American Fiction, for which he is nominated for the Best Actor Oscar, his first ever Academy Award nod. When we asked Wright about the rumors, he replied: "Anything is possible. We shall see." While he's keeping his lips sealed there, that certainly isn't a no.
Of course, given Isaac's role in the story it is possible that we may not see the character in the TV show until a third season, rather than the upcoming second. Creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann have already revealed that season 2 won't cover the entirety of the sequel game, stating that multiple installments will be needed to bring it to life on the screen. We may have a longer wait then to see if Wright will indeed reprise his role – but for the meantime, we are keeping our fingers crossed.
American Fiction is in US and UK theaters now. For the full interview with Wright, look out for the next episode of the Inside Total Film podcast.
Keep up to date with the latest on The Last of Us season 2 with our guide.
