The actress Kaitlyn Dever will portray the controversial Abby in the series of The Last of Us. Editor-in-chief Leya remembers toxic fans who spread a lot of hate around Abby after the release of the game. Could that happen again?
Hardly any game has been discussed as controversially as the second part of The Last of Us. Especially the newly introduced Abby was inundated with harsh comments on social networks and forums.
Without wanting to spoil the course of the story, part of the fanbase was upset about Abby’s role and the way her character drives the narrative. She is the catalyst for the main plot and provides the protagonist Ellie with a defining experience.
Our house demon Cortyn summarized the experience with the game in July 2020:
And yes, one either seemed to hate the story or masochistically love it.
By the way, there was also a lot of criticism regarding Abby’s physique in the game. She was said to be way too muscular and that no woman could realistically achieve such a physique, coming from a certain corner. Coleen Fotsch was the body model for Abby. Fotsch is a professional CrossFit athlete who actually exists and shows parts of her training on Instagram.
Although Abby played a central role here, she was not the only reason why the game was occasionally showered with hate.
There was even review bombing. This refers to the “bombardment” of online review platforms with negative ratings. Part of the outrage was triggered by “LGBTQ+” content.
Another wave of hate not unlikely
When HBO announced the actress for Abby yesterday, I was initially very pleased. Kaitlyn Dever is known for “Last Man Standing” and “Booksmart” and has delivered a great performance there.
Furthermore, the producers have so far shown a good sense in casting the series, so I have no worries here at all.
In the next moment, my thoughts immediately wandered to the internet mob of 2020 and what it triggered back then. I thought right away: Kaitlyn Dever is inheriting a heavy legacy.
I firmly assume that there will also be a portion of the fans of the series who will be absolutely dissatisfied with the course of the story.
My specific concern now is that the actress playing Abby might face a wave of hate. Because no matter how well she embodies Abby, the character Abby remains a controversial figure due to her actions in the story. That won’t change.
The original face model for Abby even received death threats because some “fans” hated her character in the game so much.
Note that this hate message to Jocelyn Mettler is from 2023. That is three years after the release of The Last of Us 2.
It would therefore not be the first time that someone receives toxic and repulsive comments for their work on an entertainment product.
Hopefully this is just my cynicism about the internet
It should be taken into account that this is the smaller part of the fanbase. The typical loud minority that acts maliciously. Of course, there are also people who express their criticism without being insulting or hostile.
The story of The Last of Us 2 doesn’t want to please everyone either. It doesn’t have to.
However, I hope that the series won’t be attacked in the same way as the game was at its release. Because even a loud minority can cause deep damage, as a recent example from the gaming industry shows:
Because actually, I am looking forward to discussions about the second season of The Last of Us – especially because the story is so polarizing and controversial. There is so much material here that can be dissected and viewed from different angles.
What gives me optimism right now is that there are already many positive responses to the actress online. There are jokes being shared on Twitter/X about her playing golf. People who know the game understand the reference.
It would be nice if we could maintain exactly that and the extreme hate towards individuals could simply go away. Perhaps I have become too cynical about the internet by now.
There is still no release date for the second season of The Last of Us. However, we can assume that we won’t see it before 2025. Filming is only starting now in February and is expected to last until September.
