Cillian Murphy won’t be making a return to the 28 Days Later franchise on screen, despite his involvement behind the scenes as an executive producer for the upcoming third installment. Fans hoping to see the Oscar-winning actor reprise his role as Jim will be disappointed, as Murphy won’t appear in the film.
Producer Andrew Macdonald explained that both Murphy and the production team were interested in having him return, but for now, his involvement will be limited to an executive producer role. Macdonald remains hopeful, however, that Jim, Murphy’s character, might make an appearance in future films of the trilogy.
In an interview with Empire, Macdonald said, “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.”
Currently, Murphy is maintaining his connection to the series through his executive producer role. Macdonald expressed hope that as the trilogy progresses, they might find a way to collaborate with Murphy again in some capacity.
Murphy originally played Jim, a bicycle courier, in the 2002 hit 28 Days Later, which saw his character navigating a virus-ravaged London. He didn’t return for the 2007 sequel, 28 Weeks Later, but his return as an executive producer on the third installment keeps his involvement with the franchise alive, suggesting that fans may yet see Jim again down the line.