28 Years Later Won't Feature Cillian Murphy After All – But What About The Other Sequels?

When last we checked in on Cillian Murphy's return to Danny Boyle and Alex Garland's rage-virus-fueled franchise, we were debunking the fan theory that the 2024 Academy Award winner had signed on to appear as a zombie in "28 Years Later." Yes, the emaciated figure rising out of a field in the film's first trailer bore a slight resemblance to the actor, but this undead character is actually portrayed by the strikingly gaunt performer Angus Neill.

This knocked fans of the movies back to square one with their harmlessly wild speculation as to how Murphy would reappear as Jim in the long-awaited third installment in the series — the first since 2007's "28 Weeks Later." For some, this came as a relief; while it might be momentarily amusing to write Murphy out of the universe as a zombie, surely Jim deserves better. After all, we experienced the horror of "28 Days Later" via his WTF, just-roused-from-a-coma-to-find-myself-in-the-apocalypse perspective. If Jim's still alive all these years later, we'd like to see him be a survivor. Whether living in this reality has sharpened his wits or driven him totally nutzoid is up to Boyle and Garland, but, damn it, do right by this man.

If you're still worried about Jim's role in "28 Years Later," I have ... good news? At the very least, you can take comfort in knowing that Murphy won't be playing a zombie this time out — at least, not yet.

According to a new Empire interview with "28 Years Later" producer Andrew Macdonald, Murphy won't be in "28 Years Later" at all, though he does hope Jim will get worked back into the franchise in the future. "He is not in the first film, but I'm hoping there will be some Jim somewhere along the line," he said. Whether that future appearance comes in Nia DaCosta's already-shot "28 Years Later: The Bone Temple," due out in 2026, or the unmade capper to the proposed trilogy (which won't move forward until Sony can assess the box office performance of "28 Years Later"), we'll have to wait and see.

As for why fandom's been convinced that Murphy will be in "28 Years Later" despite the fact that he was never officially announced as a cast member and lacks a credit on the poster, blame Reddit and Sony chief Tom Rothman. After pictures surfaced of Murphy poking around the sequel's set in street clothes, fans began circulating rumors that Jim would reappear. Then Rothman told Deadline that Murphy would be in the film "but in a surprising way and in a way that grows."

Is it possible Macdonald is lying to cover up a massive surprise? Maybe. You never want to shoot dirty pool with your fanbase, but if Murphy's involvement is a shocking third-act reveal that works, then go ahead and lie. All is forgiven if you deliver the goods. Here's hoping this is precisely what Boyle, Garland, and, who knows, maybe Murphy do when "28 Years Later" storms theaters on June 20, 2025.