Will Cillian Murphy Return in 28 YEARS LATER? The Third Film Is ‘His Movie'

Yahoo

6 hours ago

Ever since fans got a glimpse of a Cillian Murphy-looking zombie in the 28 Years Later trailer, speculation about whether Murphy would return to the franchise bubbled up everywhere. Ultimately, it was confirmed that Cillian Murphy would not be in the first 28 Years Later movie. But that's not because he isn't returning to the role of Jim. No, it's because the whole 28 Years Later trilogy is building to a movie starring Cillian Murphy as Jim. And according to Director Danny Boyle it's worth waiting for like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Here's what we know about whether Cillian Murphy will be in 28 Years Later.
The third movie in the 28 Years Later trilogy has not yet been greenlit. But it already knows who it will star. According to Danny Boyle, the third 28 Years Later movie will be all about Cillian Murphy's franchise-originating character, Jim. Boyle shares with The Times, 'The dream of [this] film was to not feature him … because we didn't want it to feel like a direct sequel. It is [a sequel] because it bears a similar title but it's a reset. We thought that to be really healthy for us not to rely on [Murphy], especially since he's become a worldwide star since then. We planned out this idea of three films and that you're moving towards him, but slowly.'
Boyle notes that this slow move toward Cillian Murphy's return in 28 Years Later is 'worth waiting for' Further adding, 'the third [28 Years Later] film is his movie. That's the idea of it. So, that gave us a big kind of epic arc with this enormous rainbow. Pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, which is Cillian Murphy after his Oscar success. So we wanted him involved in the first [28 Years Later] film. He wasn't involved very much, but he was very supportive.'
Boyle doesn't reveal anything about how exactly Cillian Murphy's Jim will return or figure into the plot. But it's exciting to know the tremendous actor will soon return to the world he helped to create.
Although Cillian Murphy won't return to star in a 28 Years Later movie until the trilogy's final film, we will see him sooner than that. Boyle shares that when the second movie in the series, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, releases in theaters in January 2026, we'll get our 'first glimpse' at Cillian Murphy's return as Jim.
Speaking further to ScreenRant, Boyle expounded on the point, noting, 'I've obviously seen a rough cut of Nia DaCosta's film, and he's introduced beautifully at the coda of that film. That obviously leads you in the way that you'll probably realize 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.'
We can't wait to be surprised.
There was a lot of excitement when fans thought that Cillian Murphy would star as zombie Jim in the first 28 Years Later movie. And honestly, we're still all for that! If Jim's legacy is to become a zombie in the end… Well, we wouldn't complain. But we'll have to wait and see what lies in store when 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple and Murphy's first appearance in the sequel movies arrive early next year.
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