The Most Exciting Apocalypse Sequel Of The Year Is Missing Its Most Iconic Character

20th Century Pictures

There’s something so charming about seeing an actor in a movie before they made it big. Before Margot Robbie was Barbie, she was girl-next-door Donna Freedman on the Australian soap opera Neighbours. Before Benedict Cumberbatch was Sherlock or Doctor Strange, he was the voice of Martin Crieff in the BBC radio series Cabin Pressure. And before Cillian Murphy was Tommy Shelby or J. Robert Oppenheimer, he was Jim, a survivor of a zombie apocalypse in 28 Days Later and its sequel 28 Weeks Later.

Now, he’s back as an executive producer for the franchise’s third movie, 28 Years Later, but it looks like he won’t venture in front of the camera at all. At least, not in this movie.

Unfortunately, that one zombie from the 28 Years Later trailer is officially not Cillian Murphy. | Sony Pictures Releasing

Producer Andrew MacDonald told Empire Magazine that while Murphy is involved with the production, he won’t appear in the movie. “[On] this, we wanted him to be involved and he wanted to be involved,” he said. “He is not in the first film, but I’m hoping there will be some Jim somewhere along the line.”

28 Years Later is only the first film in a trilogy of new additions to the series. The second installment, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, will be the first movie in the franchise not to be directed by Danny Boyle, with Nia DaCosta instead taking the reins. But Boyle will be back with the franchise for the third film in this sequel trilogy, helming the untitled follow-up to The Bone Temple.

Jim won’t return in 28 Years Later, but there are rumors of Murphy on the set of its sequel. | 20th Century Pictures

In September, News and Star reported that Murphy was spotted on the set of The Bone Temple, though it’s unclear if he was there as a producer or an actor. MacDonald’s cryptic comment may be teasing that Jim will return sooner than fans think, as The Bone Temple already has a release date of January 16, 2026.

While Murphy’s absence in 28 Years Later is disappointing, the Empire report did reveal some exciting details about what’s to come. The movie stars Aaron Taylor Johnson and Jodie Comer as two survivors who “are part of a community on Holy Island, aka Lindisfarne, connected to the UK mainland by a causeway only briefly accessible when the tide recedes each day.” But when their son traverses off the safe haven of the island, the family must face the true extent of the zombie apocalypse. Even if Cillian Murphy isn’t part of the story, it sounds like the perfect follow-up to one of the most creative zombie movies ever made.

28 Years Later premieres in theaters June 20, 2025.