So, here's all the conjectures on Jim's fate in 28 Years Later.
Many of us are choosing to believe the zombie showed in the trailer, despite looking like Cillian Murphy, is not Jim because they most likely wouldn't reveal something like that in the trailer. And maybe that's exactly what they want, to drive people crazy thinking it's him but in the end it won't be.
Also the set pictures of him that have come out so far suggest he's alive and kicking. Those don't confirm the zombie is not Jim for sure because they could still be of flashbacks showing how Jim became the zombie but there's room for hope.
There's also all the references to a "Jimmy" in the trailer, which could be referring to Jim but we don't know in what capacity.
28 Years Later is going to be one of 3 movies, the second of which was shot at the same time as this one, btw. So, many are theorizing Cillian has a supporting role in this one, and will quite possibly just show up at the very end but will be the main character or one of the main characters in the sequel.
When asked if Cillian would return for 28 Years Later, Tom Rothman (Sony Motion Pictures Group chairman) said, "Yes, but in a surprising way and in a way that grows, let me put it that way," which makes the theory above seem even more plausible.
In addition, my sister suggested that Erin Kellyman's character could very well be Jim and Selena's daughter. Which also doesn't confirm Jim is not dead but, at the very least, it would mean they were able to be together for quite a while before shit hit the fan again.
Which brings me to Selena and Hannah's fate. I'm also very worried about what happened to them and there's been absolutely no word about either character being in these movies. They could just be hiding the reveal, which would make total sense, or one or both of them are dead. I'm really hoping that's not the case because the 3 of them were THE found family and it would be very sad for them to have overcome all they did in the first movie just for it all to have amounted to nothing.
Having said that, if any or all 3 of them are indeed dead in these new movies, I just hope it's handled well. If you're going to kill beloved characters it needs to be done the right way and have the proper weight in the story. I hope it's not meaningless and just for shock value.
I trust Danny Boyle and Alex Garland when it comes to storytelling, and Cilian Murphy is executive producing this thing, so I don't think that'll be the case, I think they all care about this story and these characters, but you never know.
It looks like it's going to be an amazing movie regardless of the OGs' actual fate. It seems like it can stand on its own and I'm ridiculously excited for it, I've lost count of how many times I've watched the trailer. But let's pray our babies are handled with the care and love they deserve.
