The internet at large was convinced they’d spotted Cillian Murphy in the 28 Years Later trailer. Danny Boyle’s original 2002 horror 28 Days Later followed Murphy’s Jim – freshly awoken from a coma to an entirely-abandoned London – as he traversed the rage-infected remains of the UK. And since Boyle and original writer Alex Garland are back on board for the long-awaited threequel, word has long swirled that Murphy, too, will pop up in the new film. So when the teaser for 28 Years Later dropped, featuring one of the emaciated infected with a haircut you could charitably describe as Peaky Blinders-esque and prominent cheekbones, the World Wide Web did its thing: that had to be Cillian Murphy. Except, it wasn’t.

As producer Andrew Macdonald confirms to Empire, Cillian Murphy isn’t actually in 28 Years Later – or, at least, not in the first film of the planned new trilogy. “[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,” Macdonald confirms. Instead, Murphy’s role for now is more behind-the-scenes. “He’s involved at the moment as an executive producer,” Macdonald says, “and I would hope we can work with him in some way in the future in the trilogy.” That could mean in Nia DaCosta’s already-shot sequel 28 Days Later: The Bone Temple, due in 2026, or in the third film, which will move ahead if the first film hits with audiences.

Kudos isn’t just due to extra Angus Neill, the man who inadvertently set the internet alight – some should also go to Danny Boyle’s partner, who had tried to warn him that audiences would see Neill and assume they’d spotted a worse-for-wear Jim. “I showed my girlfriend the trailer and she said, ‘People will think that’s Cillian,’” the director says. “I said, ‘Don’t be silly.’ I ignored her. So I’ve eaten a bit of humble pie since.” Talk about going viral.

Read Empire’s full 28 Years Later cover story – speaking to Danny Boyle, Alex Garland, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jodie Comer, Ralph Fiennes and more about the long-awaited return of one of the 21st century’s greatest horror stories – in the March 2025 issue, on sale Thursday 16 January. Pre-order a copy online here. 28 Years Later comes to UK cinemas from 20 June.