Is Cillian Murphy in 28 Years Later? The actors role in new trilogy explaned

Now, after more than two decades, a new sequel titled 28 Years Later has arrived in UK cinemas – with both Boyle and Garland returning to their role behind the camera for what is billed as the first part of a brand new trilogy.

But what of Murphy's involvement? Ever since the project was first announced, there has been talk that the star would reprise his role as Jim in the new films.

Indeed, some fans even thought they had spotted him as an Infected in the first trailer, although they were left rather red-faced when it emerged that the actor in question was in fact an extra named Angus Neill.

So does he appear in the new film? And are there plans for him to appear later in the franchise? Read on for everything you need to know about Cillian Murphy's role in the 28 Years Later films.

Is Cillian Murphy in 28 Years Later?

The simple answer is no – Cillian Murphy does not appear in 28 Years Later.

Despite early reports that he was set to have some kind of role in the film, his absence will come as no surprise to fans who have been following the latest developments regarding the movie, with several of those involved in the film having repeatedly made clear that he would not appear.

Back in January, producer Andrew Macdonald told Empire: "[On] this, we wanted him to be involved and he wanted to be involved. He is not in the first film, but I’m hoping there will be some Jim somewhere along the line."

He added: "He’s involved at the moment as an executive producer, and I would hope we can work with him in some way in the future in the trilogy."

So while Murphy is not in this film, it seems that it was simply a narrative decision not to focus on his character at this stage in the series and he's still very much lined up to play a major role in the future.

Will Cillian Murphy in 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple?

This is where things get interesting. Murphy has now been confirmed to appear in the already shot sequel 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, which has been directed by The Marvels' Nia DaCosta and is currently scheduled for release as early as January 2026.

But it looks like he will only be showing up briefly in a coda scene at the very end of the film, in a similar vein to how Jack O'Connell appeared in the closing moments of 28 Years Later to tee up the sequel.

This was confirmed by Danny Boyle in a recent interview with ScreenRant, with the director telling the publication: "I've seen obviously a rough cut of Nia DaCosta's film of The Bone Temple and he's introduced beautifully at the coda of that film.

"That obviously leads you in the way that you'll probably realise that Jimmy is going to be a huge part of the second movie having been introduced at the end of the first movie. Likewise, Cillian will be a huge part of the third movie having been introduced in what is, in effect, a coda to the second movie. A very surprising one nonetheless."

So there we have it: fans looking for a more substantial Murphy appearance will have to wait until the third film, which at this stage hasn't even been green lit – with Boyle explaining that its existence is dependent on the success of the first two movies. Let's keep our fingers crossed!

Who is Cillian Murphy's 28 Days Later character Jim and what could his role be in the sequels?

If you need a reminder, Murphy's character Jim was the central character of the first film. He was a bicycle courier who had been involved in a crash shortly before the outbreak of the Rage Virus, which had sent him into a coma for several weeks.

He was therefore shocked to wake up in a completely abandoned hospital and with no idea of what had sent everyone away, leading to one of the first film's most iconic sequences in which he wandered through a desolate, deserted London in his hospital gown.

Throughout the film he made allies – in the shape of Selena (Naomie Harris), Frank (Brendan Gleeson) and Hannah (Megan Burns) – and enemies, notably including Christopher Eccleston's Major Henry West and – of course – the hordes of Infected.

The film ended with Jim recovering from a gunshot wound in a remote cottage in Cumbria (another 28 days after a confrontation with West), as he and his surviving friends attempted to attract the attention of a Hawker Hunter jet flying overhead. And that's the last we saw of him.

As for what Jim has been up to since, that's anyone's guess – and beyond the timing of his introduction, there have been no clues as the role the character will play in the new trilogy so far.

It's perhaps worth noting that his name is remarkably similar to that of Jack O'Connell's character Jimmy, who is set to be a major driving force in The Bone Temple. But from what we've seen so far, the two characters have very little in common beyond this, so perhaps their common name is nothing but a coincidence. We'll be keeping our eyes peeled for any potential hints!

28 Years Later is now showing in UK cinemas.

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