Ever since The Walking Dead premiered in 2010, the main mystery of the TV franchise has been how the zombie apocalypse started. For the most part, the comics and the shows have always been very vague about the virus’ origin. There are theories that the virus is airborne, and series creator Robert Kirkman has even suggested it’s possible that it came from a spore that fell from space. However, as The Walking Dead‘s timeline has expanded, more hints have surprisingly been revealed that point to the potential origin of the Walking Dead zombie outbreak.

The most notable hint towards the origin of the virus came in the post-credits scene of The Walking Dead: World Beyond season 2, which moved away from the Civic Republic Military storyline and to a French science lab. If what is revealed in this scene is true, then the origin of the virus in The Walking Dead is very similar to 28 Days Later’s Rage virus origin this would not be the only similarity between the two zombie-related franchises.

The Walking Dead’s Virus Origin Sounds Very Similar To How The 28 Days Later Outbreak Started

The Virus Origins In The Walking Dead & 28 Days Later Both Involve Scientists

A gunman shoots a scientist in The Walking Dead: World Beyond’s post-credits scene.

In the post-credits scene of The Walking Dead: World Beyond, a mysterious Frenchman visits a scientist in an abandoned French lab. The Frenchman accuses the scientist and her colleagues of starting the zombie apocalypse. However, the scientist argues with the Frenchman, claiming that her team wasn’t in the lab when the virus got out. “They weren’t here when it happened… when you did what you did,” she says. Therefore, this suggests that the Frenchman was actually part of a different group, that potentially released the virus.

Norman Reedus as Daryl Dixon in The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon and Andew Lincoln as Rick Grimes in The Walking Dead between two zombie hands

The original Walking Dead show told its story predominantly in America, but the franchise has since expanded and revealed the virus’ global impact.

Unlike The Walking Dead franchise, the film 28 Days Later actually begins with the origin of the virus. At the beginning of 28 Days Later, it is revealed that scientists created the Rage virus, and had it contained in a lab until environmental activists broke in and accidentally released it. Therefore, if French scientists created the virus in The Walking Dead universe, but a separate group is technically responsible for releasing it, then the virus’ origin in The Walking Dead and 28 Days Later would essentially be exactly the same.

The Walking Dead’s Opening Already Copied 28 Days Later

Andrew Lincoln & Cillian Murphy’s Character Introductions Are Very Similar

Rick Grimes pointing a gun in The Walking Dead season 1.

If The Walking Dead’s zombie virus started this way, it wouldn’t be the first time the popular franchise has copied 28 Days Later. In both The Walking Dead and 28 Days Later, the main characters wake up from a coma to discover the world has practically ended. Prior to the virus being released in The Walking Dead, Rick Grimes was shot in the line of duty and fell into a coma. Meanwhile, in the 2002 post-apocalyptic horror movie, Jim got into an accident while riding his bike and didn’t wake up until 28 days after the outbreak.

The next sequel to 28 Days Later, 28 Years Later, will be released in theaters on June 20, 2025, featuring the return of star Cillian Murphy and original director Danny Boyle.

While the start of Rick and Jim’s stories are so similar in their respective franchises, they are both equally effective, since the idea of a character waking up weeks into a zombie apocalypse is such an intriguing hook. The viewers immediately sympathize with both of these characters, as they discover the post-apocalyptic worlds through their eyes. Therefore, while it’s possible that The Walking Dead universe is borrowing a lot of ideas from 28 Days Later, being inspired by something else is not necessarily a bad thing.

The Walking Dead (2010) Movie Poster

The Walking Dead

The Walking Dead is a massive multimedia franchise that began with a comic book series created by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard. The franchise gained widespread popularity with the launch of the television series The Walking Dead in 2010 on AMC, which chronicles the lives of survivors in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by zombies, referred to as “walkers.” The success of the original show has led to numerous spin-offs, web series, video games, novels, and other media. The franchise explores themes of survival, human nature, and the breakdown of society in the face of an existential threat, making it one of the most successful and influential horror series of the 21st century.

Created by Tony Moore, Charlie Adlard, Robert Kirkman

Cast Melissa McBride, Chandler Riggs, Lennie James, Lauren Cohan, Steven Yeun, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Danai Gurira, Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus

28 Days Later (2002) Movie Poster

28 Days Later

The 28 Days Later franchise is a British post-apocalyptic horror series that began with the 2002 film 28 Days Later, followed by the 2007 sequel 28 Weeks Later. It explores a world ravaged by the Rage Virus, focusing on survivors navigating an outbreak of violent, infected humans. The franchise is set to continue with a new trilogy, beginning with 28 Years Later in 2025.

Created by Alex Garland

Cast Christopher Eccleston, Cillian Murphy, Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jeremy Renner, Ralph Fiennes, Brendan Gleeson, Rose Byrne, Robert Carlyle, Naomie Harris, Jack O’Connell, Imogen Poots