Fans are convinced that they have spotted a zombified version of Cillian Murphy in the cast of 28 Years Later includes Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jodie Comer, and Ralph Fiennes.

While fans were excited to see Murphy reprise his role over two decades after 28 Days Later, it seems like his character may have died between the two movies. After the trailer for 28 Years Later was released, fans were quick to note a zombie that looked a lot like Murphy. In the trailer for the film, the zombie fans are theorizing that Murphy's character can be seen rising in a field amid some flowers. Check out several fan posts about this moment in the trailer below:

@Name__Error_404 did a before and after comparison of Murphy's character, expressing his sympathy to the actor.

@ChatShirt theorized that Jim didn't make it after viewing the first look at Murphy's return.

@Damac1214 posted about the possibility that Murphy's only look so far could be just the one sad scene where he doesn't speak.

@seanjetravers posted a comparison image of Murphy's appearance in the movie to that of an actual mummy.

Many s have also compared Murphy's appearance to the Chocolate Lady from SpongeBob SquarePants, including @NahImGhost.

Just like many people, @eronjbutler is in disbelief that the unconfirmed character is Murphy.

Many s on X continue to compare Murphy's appearance in the new movie, with @MOVIEDEATHBLOWS seeing a similarity to the "Sloth" from Seven.

@NEPatriotsBoy responded with "What the f--k?" wondering what happened to the character, considering Jim survived the events of the first movie.

@LFAFSTYLE remains hopeful that it was simply a "fake-out," suggesting a theory that the quick scene could be a nightmare sequence.

What Cillian Murphy Being A Zombie In 28 Years Later Means For The Movie

Cillian Murphy Appearing As A Zombie In 28 Years Later Is Unexpected

In 28 Days Later, Murphy played Jim, who wakes up from a coma after an accident and discovers that England has been overtaken by zombie-like monsters. 28 Days Later actually had multiple endings that featured different fates for Jim. In the theatrical ending of the film, Jim survives and signals a plane, hoping to be rescued and escape the infected England. However, there is an alternate ending to the film which features Jim dying from his gunshot wound.

Regardless of what ending is actually considered canon, the new trailer for 28 Years Later suggests that Murphy's character is not alive in the long-awaited sequel. Either he died at the end of the original film (as the alternate ending portrays), between the events of the two movies, or will die during 28 Years Later. While it is not confirmed that the zombie in the trailer is Jim, it is hard to deny that it looks a lot like Murphy. Therefore, it seems like 28 Years Later will focus on new characters, rather than spend too much time with Murphy's character from the original film.

Our Take On Cillian Murphy Being A Zombie In 28 Years Later

28 Years Later Will Introduce New Characters

If Murphy's Jim is a zombie in 28 Years Later, it would be surprising since the announcement that he was returning to the franchise was such a big deal. While this will likely disappoint fans of the actor and the original film, perhaps it is good that the franchise is not focusing too much on previous characters. 28 Years Later is the start of a new trilogy in the franchise, so it would be wise to develop brand-new, intriguing characters, rather than relying on Murphy's character from the first movie.

Source: Various (see above)