Over 20 years after the horror began in 28 Years Later. And if the new movies does one thing, it has to reverse the dark fate of Cillian Murphy's Jim. While movie fans may think that Jim's story ended with his implied rescue at the conclusion of the first movie, it was later revealed that things went downhill soon after.
28 Years Later will revisit Danny Boyle's not-quite-zombie apocalypse, where much of the population have been infected with the deadly Rage Virus. The movie will follow Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Ralph Fiennes in a terrifying world where the early days of chaos have given way to a new way of living that accepts marauding, homicidal quasi-undead as a fact of life.
But while the movie seemingly won't star Cillian Murphy (despite early theories that he appears in the trailer as a zombie), it does need to reverse one part of his story.
An Exciting 28 Years Later Theory About Cillian Murphy Has Been Officially Debunked
A popular 28 Years Later theory which suggested what kind of role Cillian Murphy's Jim will play in the new trilogy has now been debunked.
Cillian Murphy's Jim Was Executed by the Army
28 Days Later's Sequel Flipped the Hopeful Ending
28 Days Later got an official sequel in the 2009 BOOM! Studios comic from Michael Alan Nelson, Declan Shalvey, Alejandro Aragon and various other artists. The comic sees Selena hired by a group who want to make an illegal trip to London, needing a guide who has faced the Rage-infected hordes before. The series fills in the gaps between the movie's ending and 28 Weeks Later depiction of the UK's repatriation, revealing that Jim, Hannah and Selena are now famous as the 'Manchester Three,' and that Hannah has been adopted and Selena sent to a Norwegian refugee camp. Sadly, Jim hasn't been as lucky, and is imprisoned and scheduled for execution.
It may strike movie fans as weird that Jim would be arrested, but he does have crimes to answer for. Specifically, Jim caused the deaths of Major Henry West (Christopher Eccleston) and his soldiers after learning they planned to rape Selena and Hannah. Apparently, some word of Jim's actions got out, and West's old friend Captain Stiles has arranged his capture and execution before going on to try and capture Selena (who eventually kills him in the comic's conclusion.)
The comics brought back Jim's fate from the movie's original ending, but that doesn't mean it should stand.
28 Days Later's Scariest Moment Was Too Extreme for the Movies
28 Days Later redefined zombie horror with its depiction of a country fallen to savagery, but Selena's darkest moment wasn't on the big screen.
Jim Deserves Better Than His Comic Sequel Fate
28 Years Later Needs to Give Fans Hope
It may seem unfair for the comic to flip the hopeful ending of the movie, but even in the film, Jim wasn't originally going to make it out alive. An alternate ending had Jim die of West's gunshot, with only Selena and Hannah going on to be rescued. Thankfully, test audiences hated that ending, leading to the happier version fans know and love. However, that ending is pretty irrevocably spoiled if Jim dies, Hannah is torn away from her protectors, and Selena ends up plunging back into the ruined Britain due to her trauma.
While fans don't necessarily need to see these three characters again, refusing to address their story further allows the comic sequel to stand. Ideally, some comment or reference in 28 Years Later can imply that Jim escaped or was released rather than facing a firing squad, reinstating the ambiguous ending of the original movie. While horror movies often have dark endings and kill off their protagonists, the surprisingly hopeful ending of 28 Days Later is part of its charm, and the idea of Jim, Selena and Hannah's found family braving the further collapse of the world is more interesting than Jim facing a bleak imprisonment and execution.
Part of the fun of the 28 Days Later franchise is seeing the wider world as the Rage Virus spreads further and further, and while many fans would love to see Cillian Murphy return, actually getting the star to reprise his role isn't essential to the franchise. However, the story would be better if 28 Years Later finds a way to subvert Jim's dark fate in the 28 Days Later comic, restoring the cliffhanger rather than concluding Jim's story in such a hopeless way.
28 Years Later is coming 20 June, 2025.
-
28 Days Later
- Created by
- Alex Garland
- First Film
- 28 Days Later
- Latest Film
- 28 Weeks Later
- Films
- 28 Years Later
- Cast
- Cillian Murphy, Naomie Harris, Brendan Gleeson, Christopher Eccleston, Robert Carlyle, Rose Byrne, Jeremy Renner, Imogen Poots, Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ralph Fiennes, Jack O'Connell
- Movie(s)
- 28 Days Later, 28 Weeks Later, 28 Years Later
The 28 Days Later franchise is a British post-apocalyptic horror series that began with the 2002 film 28 Days Later, followed by the 2007 sequel 28 Weeks Later. It explores a world ravaged by the Rage Virus, focusing on survivors navigating an outbreak of violent, infected humans. The franchise is set to continue with a new trilogy, beginning with 28 Years Later in 2025.
-
28 Years Later
- Release Date
- June 20, 2025
- Runtime
- 126 minutes
- Director
- Danny Boyle
- Writers
- Danny Boyle, Alex Garland
- Producers
- Alex Garland, Andrew Macdonald, Bernard Bellew
Cast
Isla
Jamie
Jack O'ConnellJimmy Crystal
Alfie WilliamsSpike
28 Years Later: Set nearly three decades after the rage virus outbreak, a quarantined group survives on an isolated island connected to the mainland by a fortified causeway. When a member ventures into the mainland, they encounter mutated threats and unsettling truths about both the infected and fellow survivors.
