When Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later hit theaters in 2002, it didn’t just jolt the zombie genre back to life—it redefined it. The film’s bleak, distinctly British vision of a society upended by the Rage Virus paved the way for everything from the Dawn of the Dead remake to the cultural juggernaut that became The Walking Dead. But as the franchise barrels forward with new sequels and ever-expanding lore, it’s worth pausing to remember the characters who laid its emotional groundwork—especially Mark, played by Noah Huntley, whose early sacrifice still casts a long shadow over the series.
Mark is rarely the first name fans mention when they recall 28 Days Later. The spotlight usually falls on Cillian Murphy’s haunted Jim, Naomie Harris’s fiercely pragmatic Selena, or even Brendan Gleeson’s lovable Frank. Yet Mark’s role in the film’s first act is quietly pivotal. After Jim wakes from a coma to find London deserted and overrun, it’s Mark—alongside Selena—who risks everything to rescue him from a horde of the infected. Mark isn’t just a helpful hand; he’s the one who brings Jim up to speed on the apocalyptic new reality, recounting a harrowing tale of losing his family at an overcrowded Paddington Station. According to Screen Rant, "he’s given equal screentime to Jim and Selena, with Huntley getting to deliver a chilling monologue about what happened to his family at an overcrowded Paddington Station."
For a brief, flickering moment, the trio of Jim, Selena, and Mark seem poised to anchor the story together. Mark’s empathy stands in sharp contrast to Selena’s icy survivalism. When Jim, still reeling from the shock, wants to check on his parents, it’s Mark who agrees to accompany him—despite the obvious dangers. As Screen Rant notes, "It’s also Mark’s call to take Jim to his parents’ house so he can confirm their fate, and he helps save Jim again when the infected smash into the house." In a world where kindness seems like a liability, Mark takes a risk on compassion.
But in Boyle’s universe, mercy is a dangerous luxury. During a frantic attack at Jim’s parents’ home, Mark is wounded. The wound is small, but in the world of the Rage Virus, even a scratch can mean doom. Selena, ever the realist, doesn’t hesitate. She kills Mark without a second thought, hacking him to death to prevent the possible spread of infection. It’s a moment that’s as shocking as it is heartbreaking—especially since, as Screen Rant observes, "the movie took time to develop Mark." The film leaves the audience with a lingering, unanswerable question: was Mark actually infected, or did Selena kill an innocent man out of fear?
Mark’s death isn’t just a plot twist; it’s a turning point for everyone. For Jim, it’s a brutal lesson in the new rules of survival. If he hadn’t lit that fateful candle at his parents’ house, the infected might never have found them. "It was a tiny mistake on Jim’s part, but it still got Mark killed," notes Screen Rant. Jim learns that even the smallest slip can have deadly consequences. For Selena, Mark’s demise reinforces her belief that empathy is a weakness in this broken world—a belief that will be tested and, eventually, softened as the story unfolds.
As the franchise has grown, so too has its cast of memorable characters and its willingness to explore new thematic territory. The latest chapter, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, promises to push the series into even darker and more complex waters. According to Entertainment Weekly, the film picks up after the events of 28 Years Later (released in June 2025) and is slated to hit theaters on January 16, 2026. Shot back-to-back with its predecessor, The Bone Temple brings back Ralph Fiennes as Dr. Ian Kelson, Alfie Williams as Spike, and Jack O’Connell as the chilling Sir Jimmy Crystal.
The plot synopsis teases a world where the infected are no longer the greatest threat—now, it’s the survivors themselves who pose the most danger. "In the world of The Bone Temple, the infected are no longer the greatest threat to survival—the inhumanity of the survivors can be stranger and more terrifying," Entertainment Weekly reports. Dr. Kelson finds himself in a relationship with world-altering consequences, while Spike’s encounter with Jimmy Crystal’s cult—the Jimmies—spirals into a waking nightmare.
Ralph Fiennes, in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, delved into the film’s exploration of human violence: "We carry in us the potential for terrible destruction and pain. That theme is picked up very strongly in the next film." He also highlighted a haunting moment: "The ultimate human moment is an infected woman who is giving birth to a baby who is not infected. The theme of innate humanity—is it still alive in the soul, in the heart, in the mind of an infected person? Are they completely corrupted? Are they only rabid? Or is there the possibility of something? Something human, it’s still there."
The official trailer, released on September 3, 2025, offers a glimpse of Dr. Kelson’s mysterious Bone Temple and the terrifying power struggles among the survivors. The Jimmies, led by Jimmy Crystal, are depicted as a violent, cult-like clan—"The trailer presents the Jimmies as a downright terrifying clan, showing them violating and torturing other survivors," according to Entertainment Weekly. Erin Kellyman also appears, stirring violence alongside the Jimmies, while Chi Lewis-Parry’s alpha infected, Samson, looms as a new kind of threat.
Behind the camera, Nia DaCosta directs, taking the reins from Danny Boyle, who remains on board as producer. The film’s production and narrative ambitions signal a franchise unafraid to evolve. And for fans of the original, there’s a particularly tantalizing development: Cillian Murphy will reprise his role as Jim. Although he didn’t appear in 28 Years Later (serving as an executive producer instead), Murphy’s return in The Bone Temple is set for a brief but crucial appearance toward the film’s end. As Murphy told The Observer, "Everyone’s got to go and see the second one. I’m sure they will—it’s really, really good." His cameo is expected to set up a key role in a potential third and final movie.
For those looking to revisit the series, 28 Days Later is streaming on Netflix, with 28 Weeks Later available on Hulu. The franchise’s continued popularity is a testament to its willingness to grapple with not just the horror of monsters, but the horror within ourselves.
As 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple prepares for its release, the story’s roots in the original film remain clear. Mark’s fate—a casualty of fear, compassion, and circumstance—still resonates. The franchise’s latest entry may be bigger and bolder, but it’s built on the sacrifices and hard lessons of those early survivors. Sometimes, the smallest acts of kindness or the tiniest mistakes can echo for decades.
