The ’28 Years Later’ trailer features one glaring omission ⏤ and Teletubbies

Somehow 28 Days Later came out two decades ago but the good news is, that means it’s time for a new iteration. Entitled 28 Years Later, the third film in the franchise is the continuation of the iconic zombie world.

28 Years Later follows the formula of the franchise, picking up decades after the original outbreak. The new film stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Jodie Comer in a world where zombies are still a real concern. But as exciting as a new entry into the universe is, the new trailer is missing something significant.

The footage opens with a group of children watching the Teletubbies, which would have been contemporary to the time of the original film. The kids’ quiet reprieve is broken when they are sequestered in a room to spare them from the violence of the outside world. As the images fly by, the trailer gets more and more chaotic, all to the soundtrack of Boots, a poem by Ripyard Kipling that imagines the repetitive thoughts of a British Army soldier. All elements come together to invite viewers into a compelling world, but still, one thing remains missing.

After Cillian Murphy’s substantial and warranted attention for Oppenheimer, it was almost a given that he would return to the franchise that gave him his cult status. Upon inspection of the trailer, however, there is no Murphy to be found. For the most part, the trailer follows Johnson’s character, who travels with a young boy to an encampment. The visuals are further interspersed with terrifying imagery of humans still trying their best to survive. It certainly isn’t a requirement to see Murphy return, but fans are still holding out hope. Rumors about his appearance in the film have been stoked, particularly after viewers think they spotted Murphy in the trailer. Officially he is credited as an executive producer, but his status as a fan-favorite alum has made viewers take a second look.

Cillian Murphy’s Jim was instrumental in setting up 28 Days Later

Before Robert Kirkman even had a chance to introduce viewers to Rick Grimes’ disorienting wake-up call in The Walking Dead, 28 Days Later beat him to it. In the 2002 film, Cillian Murphy plays Jim, a bike messenger who wakes up from a coma after almost a month. The world he wakes up in is unrecognizable as he walks around a vacant London city center. He is disturbed by the amount of missing person posters, and the empty streets. Quickly, he gets introduced to a world of angry monsters out for the taste of human flesh. 28 Days Later tells a socially conscious tale that isn’t just about zombies, but what would happen to the world if society fell apart. Humans are just as vicious as anyone, a theme that continues to be told in other horror tales like The Walking Dead and It Comes At Night.

28 Days Later was directed by Danny Boyle and written by Alex Garland who would go on to have impressive careers. The two return for the third film, and fans can only hope that Murphy will join them in some capacity. While he wasn’t in the follow-up, 28 Weeks Later, his appearance would be a good bookend for the series. Zombies are more popular today than they ever have been, perhaps a response to anxieties of the real world. Hopefully, Murphy’s appearance in the film isn’t just conjecture.