Cillian Murphy Returns As Jim In 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, But Isn’t A Hero

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Be warned, major spoilers follow for 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple! Cillian Murphy will return as Jim in the new film, but director Nia DaCosta says he won’t be portrayed as a typical hero. The original 28 Days Later, directed by Danny Boyle, was where Murphy first gained widespread recognition, playing a bike messenger who wakes up from a coma to a devastated, virus-infected London.

Although Robert Murphy wasn’t in 28 Weeks Later (2007) or 28 Years Later (2025), he was an executive producer on the latter, which started a new series of films. After appearing in pictures taken on the set of the first film and The Bone Temple, it was confirmed that the Academy Award winner would return as Jim in The Bone Temple, paving the way for a third movie in the planned trilogy.

With the release of 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple approaching, ScreenRant‘s Liam Crowley spoke with director Nia DaCosta about the film and Cillian Murphy reprising his role. DaCosta shared her excitement about working with Murphy, calling him a fantastic actor and a fan of his work both within and outside the 28 Days Later series. She admitted she was a little unsure what it would be like to direct him after his Oscar win for Oppenheimer.

Working with an actor of his caliber is always a bit of a surprise, but he was fantastic. He was incredibly relaxed and down-to-earth, genuinely invested in the project, and seemed to really enjoy revisiting the role of Jim.

Because the ending of 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple shows Jim looking up at a plane – something we haven’t seen since the original film – director Danny Boyle and the new film’s director, DaCosta, had many conversations about how to portray him. The script contained a lot of detail about this scene, and they specifically didn’t want to make Jim a hero, either in this movie or any future sequels.

Nia DaCosta explained that they aimed for authenticity in the film, wanting to portray everyday moments – like a father making breakfast for his daughter while teaching her history – rather than over-the-top heroics. They agreed to keep the story realistic and grounded, and let the external conflict with Kelly and Spike naturally disrupt that domestic scene.

Following the violent conclusion of the previous film, where both Jimmy and Dr. Kelson died, “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple” shows Jim now living a quiet life with his daughter, Sam. Director Gabriel DaCosta explains that the film opens with Jim homeschooling Sam when they spot Spike and Kelly fleeing a new outbreak of infected. They immediately rush to offer help.

While he played a key role in the first movie and some viewers see him as a hero, director Danny Boyle’s comment that Jim isn’t traditionally heroic at the start of 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple rings true. In the 2003 film, Jim barely escaped many encounters with the infected, and only managed to act like a classic zombie movie hero at the very end by saving Selena and Hannah.

A major question fans have about the upcoming 28 Years Later movie is what happened to Jim after the events of the first film. Although Jim, Selena, and Hannah appeared to be saved at the end of 28 Days Later, most people would expect them to have left the country, particularly since 28 Weeks Later showed Britain just starting to rebuild before another outbreak occurred.

Another major mystery is the identity of Sam’s mother, and the upcoming film, 28 Years Later, might finally reveal the answer. While it’s natural to think Selena could be Sam’s mom, the original movie only hinted at a possible romance between her and Jim. Given that they were dealing with a global crisis, it’s uncertain if their connection lasted beyond their initial survival.

Though it’s unlikely the sequel, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, will portray Jim as a traditional hero, he might be a more complex character than fans anticipate. He already demonstrated a willingness to cross moral lines while trying to protect Selena and Hannah in the original film. If he and Sam’s mother were caught in a new outbreak within a crowded area, past actions could resurface and create difficulties when Spike and Kelly encounter him.

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2026-01-16 20:19