Summary
- Cillian Murphy’s likely return as Jim in 28 Years Later signals the potential for a full original cast reunion.
- Megan Burns, who played Hannah in 28 Days Later, may make an unlikely comeback in the sequel.
- If Megan Burns doesn’t return, 28 Years Later would need to address Hannah’s fate, as it would feel odd to exclude her completely.
With Cillian Murphy now linked to the forthcoming 28 Years Later, an unlikely comeback for another star from the original movie is possible. Legacy sequels may be all the rage in modern Hollywood, but even the most optimistic horror fan could not have predicted the long-awaited announcement of 28 Years Later. After 22 years of director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland expressing interest in a third movie but repeatedly citing their respective busy schedules as a near-insurmountable obstacle, the it’s-not-a-zombie zombie franchise has risen from the dead with a new trilogy in the works.
Although 28 Years Later‘s story remains unknown at present, the project’s confirmation immediately posed the question of whether Boyle and Garland being involved meant bringing back the original cast, led by Cillian Murphy as Jim, or whether an entirely new group would be introduced à la 2007’s 28 Weeks Later. That question has still not been answered, but Jim’s return has taken a big step forward with Murphy now confirmed as an executive producer on 28 Years Later. It seems highly unlikely that Murphy would take on this behind-the-scenes role if he wasn’t also planning to appear onscreen, and Jim’s potential reemergence paves the way for another unlikely comeback.
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If Cillian Murphy’s Jim Is In 28 Years Later, Megan Burns’ Hannah Should Be Too
If Cillian Murphy’s Jim is involved in the 28 Years Later cast, the natural follow-up question concerns the status of his two companions, Naomie Harris’ Selena and Megan Burns’ Hannah. All three characters were still together by the original movie’s final scene, so any continuation of what happened to Jim after 28 Days Later would automatically raise questions about the other two. Harris reprising her role as Selena would not come as a huge surprise. Her acting career has gone from strength to strength, largely thanks to being cast as Moneypenny in the Daniel Craig James Bond movies. A 28 Years Later gig alongside Cillian Murphy would be a perfectly logical career move. The far more unlikely comeback would be Megan Burns playing Hannah once again.
After 28 Days Later premiered in 2002, Burns largely moved away from acting, with a 2018 short film the only entry on her IMDb page since powersliding taxis and running from infected. Cillian Murphy’s increasingly-likely appearance as Jim teases a full original cast reunion, setting up a potential acting comeback for Burns in 28 Years Later more than 20 years after 28 Days Later.
Numeric gymnastics notwithstanding, 28 Years Later would at least need to address Hannah’s fate if Megan Burns does not star in the sequel. The character was last seen alongside Jim and Selena flagging down a Finnish jet and hoping to escape the infected British Isles, so Jim returning in 28 Years Later and avoiding any mention of his companions would feel incredibly odd. This could be handled by an in-dialogue reference that explains what became of Hannah after 28 Days Later, but seeing all three characters together once again would be infinitely more satisfying.
Megan Burns Changed Careers After Playing Hannah In 28 Days Later
While Megan Burns did not continue acting full-time after her breakout role in 28 Days Later, she remained active within the entertainment industry. Switching to music, Burns began performing under the name Betty Curse, releasing the gothic rock/pop album Here Lies Betty Curse in 2006 just as bands like My Chemical Romance were driving sales of eyeliner and crimson ties to new heights. According to Burns’ social media pages, she currently manages bands and music artists. Exactly what that means for Hannah’s potential role in 28 Years Later is unclear, but given the unlikely comeback of the franchise itself, stranger things have happened than Megan Burns returning to acting.
Sources: Megan Burns (via X), IMDb
