After a rocky start in the superhero world with Madame Web, Isabela Merced lands a major role in The Last of Us.

The Last of Us is back, and this time, it brings heartbreaking stories, scares, and characters that will live on for a long time. In Season 2, Joel and Ellie’s duo, Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, are back on screen once again.

This new season also brings some new faces, and one of them is the most talked-about name, Dina, played by Isabela Merced, who is Ellie’s love interest and a key part of the story.

Isabela Merced in a still from The Last of Us 2 (Credits: HBO)

And those rumors are not just for good reasons. Before stepping into this serious and dark zombie world, Merced worked in a film that was in the news for all the wrong reasons in 2024. This was the superhero movie that generated a lot of buzz, and sadly, most of it was negative.

How did Isabela Merced go from being a Nickelodeon star to a movie actress?

Isabela Merced and Jason Momoa in Sweet Girl. (Credits: Netflix)

Isabela Merced has been active in the industry for the past ten years, and whether you first saw her on Nickelodeon or in a superhero movie, Madam Web, her journey to The Last of Us has been quite interesting.

Before she became known in Hollywood as Isabela Merced, she worked under the name Isabela Moner, and she started acting at a very young age. Her first big break came on Nickelodeon. If you watched the channel in the mid-2010s, you probably remember 100 Things to Do Before High School. It was one of those fast-paced, quirky, yet lovable teen comedies that were so popular on Nickelodeon.

Around this time, she also voice-acted on Dora and Friends: Into the City, a spinoff of Dora the Explorer, in which she voiced Dora’s friend Kate. It was all a hint at the bigger project that was to come.

In 2019, she went from voice acting to live-action with Dora and the Lost City of Gold. And yes, this time, she played Dora herself. The backpack, the jungle, and that slightly socially awkward innocence all came alive on screen.

And honestly? She played it to perfection. Even though the film didn’t break any major box office records, Merced’s performance was too good to ignore. Firstly, she played a rebellious teenager in Instant Family alongside Mark Wahlberg and Rose Byrne. It was a family comedy that had a lot of emotion, and Merced showed she could hold her own in serious scenes.

She then went on to play darker roles. She starred opposite Jason Momoa in Sweet Girl. In Let It Snow, a holiday rom-com based on a YA novel, she made a fun, lighthearted entry into teen drama. But the real headlines came in 2024, due to a superhero movie.

How did Isabela Merced bounce back after Madame Web?

Mattie Franklin (Celeste O’Connor), Cassandra Webb (Dakota Johnson), Anya Corazon (Isabela Merced), and Julia Cornwall (Sydney Sweeney) in a still from Madame Web (Credit @SonyPictures)

In 2024, Madame Web made headlines, but not for the reasons anyone hoped. It was supposed to be a bold expansion of Sony’s Spider-Man universe, featuring a star-studded cast Dakota Johnson and Sydney Sweeney, but it still didn’t work.

The reviews were brutal. As ScreenRant quoted, critics called the plot clumsy, the dialogue clunky, and the tone uneven. Many said the film felt like it was unsure of what it wanted to be, part superhero origin, and the movie’s pacing didn’t help its case. Merced played Anya Corazon, a version of Spider-Girl.

But in the chaos of the movie’s direction, her role felt underdeveloped. Viewers were left wanting more of her, but not necessarily more of that movie. Instead of stepping back, she leaned forward. She shifted her focus to roles with real emotional weight, and that’s where The Last of Us Season 2 came in.

Could Dina be her breakthrough role in The Last of Us Season 2?

Isabela Merced and Bella Ramsey in The Last of Us Season 2. (Credit @HBO)

Now, she’s back on screen, but this time, things are different. The Last of Us is no joke, and Isabela Merced’s character, Dina, is an essential part. Dina is Ellie’s girlfriend in the game and is considered one of the most beloved characters of the second chapter.

Fans have been anxiously waiting to see who will play her, and Merced is now facing those huge expectations. And guess what? She fits the frame. Early clips and images from The Last of Us prove that Dina has a spark.

This can be a turning point for Merced. After a few weak projects and underrated performances, she has finally landed the role that might just give her a new lease in the industry. Her character Dina is intense, dramatic, and people are talking about her for all the right reasons.

From Nickelodeon to Netflix to a post-apocalyptic world, Isabela Merced has had one of the most unique journeys in Hollywood. Yes, she did have a rough patch with Madame Web, but one bad movie doesn’t define someone’s entire career. With The Last of Us Season 2, Merced might be getting the recognition she deserves.

The Last of Us Season 2 is streaming on Max.