Cillian Murphy isn't in '28 Years Later,' but he will be back as Jim. Here's what we know.
I've got some good news and some bad news about 28 Years Later.
The good news: 28 Years Later is a rip-roaring beast of a movie, part stress-inducing nightmare, part searing examination of toxic masculinity's persistence in the apocalypse, and part hopeful look toward the future. The bad news: Oscar winner Cillian Murphy, who played bike courier-turned-survivor Jim in 28 Days Later, is nowhere to be found. (He is an executive producer, though, reuniting with director Danny Boyle and screenwriter Alex Garland for the first time since 2007's Sunshine.)
Granted, that news isn't that bad when the rest of the film — and performances from Alfie Williams, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jodie Comer, and Ralph Fiennes — is so damn great. But the lack of Murphy may come as a surprise to some, given that Sony Motion Pictures Group CEO and chairman Tom Rothman told Deadline in a 2024 interview that Murphy would be returning.
"Yes [he will be back], but in a surprising way and in a way that grows, let me put it that way," Rothman said.
(Upon the release of the film's first trailer, fans even speculated that an emaciated infected figure shown in the footage was none other than Jim's corpse. That is not the case: The Guardian reported the role was being played by art dealer Angus Neill.)
However, in Jan. 2025, 28 Years Later producer Andrew Macdonald told Empire that Murphy would not be appearing in 28 Years Later.
"He is not in the first film, but I’m hoping there will be some Jim somewhere along the line," Macdonald said.
That "somewhere along the line" is coming sooner rather than later, as Boyle has already confirmed that Murphy will be returning in 28 Years Later's sequel, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple. Directed by Nia DaCosta (Candyman, The Marvels), 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple has already been shot and is set for a Jan. 16, 2026, release. It's the second in a planned 28 Years Later trilogy.
Of Murphy's involvement in 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, Boyle told IGN: "He is in the second one. I shouldn't give away too much. I'll get killed."
Obviously, that means Jim's future is under wraps. Will he cross paths with young Spike (Williams), or Teletubby-loving gang leader Jimmy (Jack O'Connell)? More importantly, will I be able to keep the film's various Jims and Jimmies straight in my head? We'll have until 2026 to find out.
28 Years Later is now in theaters.
Topics Film
Belen Edwards is an Entertainment Reporter at Mashable. She covers movies and TV with a focus on fantasy and science fiction, adaptations, animation, and more nerdy goodness. She is a member of the Critics Choice Association and the Television Critics Association, as well as a Tomatometer-approved critic.
