Cillian Murphy Will Not Star in 28 Years Later

Last month, the first trailer was released for the haunting sequel from Danny Boyle, 28 Years Later, and fans immediately threw themselves into detective mode, convinced they had spotted the star of Boyle's 28 Days Later, Cillian Murphy.

Murphy plays Jim in the film that follows four weeks after an incurable virus spreads throughout the United Kingdom, where a small selection of survivors are trying to find refuge.

So, it was widely speculated that Jim would return for 28 Years Later, and the image that sparked the rumors came from a quick clip in the trailer of a bony figure with Murphy-esque cheekbones emerging from a blossoming field.

However, that narrative was quickly squashed when it was confirmed by The Guardian that the suspect in question was actually Angus Neill, an art dealer talent spotted for the role by Danny Boyle.

Boyle's partner had warned the director that fans might mistake Neill for Murphy, reports Empire Magazine.

"I showed my girlfriend the trailer and she said, 'People will think that's Cillian,'" Boyle told the magazine. Boyle batted away the idea, and ignored her, saying, "I've eaten a bit of humble pie since."

Cillian Murphy attends the 96th Annual Academy Awards on March 10, 2024 in Hollywood, California. The Academy Award winner will not return in Danny Boyle's 28 Years Later despite much speculation that he would. Photo by Marleen Moise/Getty Images

With the confirmation the zombie wasn't the Academy Award winner, fans remained hopeful that Murphy would still sneakily show up.

Now it's been confirmed that Cillian Murphy will not return in 28 Years Later by the film's producer, Andrew Macdonald, who told Empire, "We wanted him to be involved and he wanted to be involved," but that plan never came to fruition.

Still, 28 Years Later is set to kick off a new trilogy of films, and Macdonald says, "He is not in the first film, but I'm hoping there will be some Jim somewhere along the line."

However, Murphy serves as an executive producer on the film, and there's a chance that Jim's story's not over yet.

"I would hope we can work with him in some way in the future in the trilogy," says Macdonald. What capacity that will be in is yet to be confirmed.

There has already been another chapter in the 28 Days Later story shot, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, helmed by Candyman and The Marvels director Nia DaCosta. That film is set for a January 2026 release.

28 Years Later hits theaters on June 20, 2025.