28 Years Later is the long-awaited sequel to Danny Boyle’s iconic zombie horror 28 Days Later, which follows a group of survivors in a ᴅᴇᴀᴅly zombie apocalypse that’s destroyed London. The upcoming movie will increase the stakes even further, exploring how the virus has spread and managed to evolve in terrifying new ways, creating new kinds of zombies for the heroes to fight. Although it took a long time for 28 Years Later to get made, the sequel has already proven from its trailers alone that it’s going to be a creative, intense addition to this series.

Although many details about 28 Years Later‘s story remain firmly under wraps, the trailers reveal just enough about this dystopia to pique the audience’s interest, with some clues about how society may have changed over the years. And it’s not only the world that looks different — the zombies themselves have very different appearances, suggesting that they’ve evolved in unpredictable ways. This all makes 28 Years Later one of this summer’s most anticipated releases, and there’s no doubt that it will live up to expectations.

5

The Infected Seem To Have Grown Larger

Their Physical Forms Look Even Stronger

The latest trailers for 28 Years Later show the infected in many different forms, and one of the most intimidating versions of these iconic zombies has no trouble towering over an adult human and throwing them away. This is something that wouldn’t have been possible with the original zombies, suggesting that the Rage Virus has evolved and given its victims some kind of superhuman strength.

There’s one specific sH๏τ in the 28 Years Later trailer that hints at a larger, further-evolved kind of infected that’s being saved for the movie. As Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s character runs through the forest, the camera rests for a small moment on a close-up sH๏τ of a zombie that seems to be pulsating and struggling to breathe. Although its face is hidden, it’s clear from the size of its torso and its muscular stature that whatever happened to this zombie has made it significantly larger than the others. There may be several of these out in the wild.

Making the zombies stronger is a logical progression for 28 Years Later, as the creatures need to be more intimidating for the sequel to work. Merely keeping the same attributes from the first two movies would run the risk of being overfamiliar or repeтιтive, but that certainly doesn’t seem to be the case here. These zombies are much larger and stronger than those Cillian Murphy and Robert Carlyle’s protagonists faced off against, and that’s a great sign.

4

The Infected Have Become Even Smarter Over The Years

The Zombies Seem To Be Working Together

Unfortunately for the film’s heroes, it’s not just the infected’s physical strength that has improved over the years. The zombies also seem much smarter than they were in the first two movies, stalking their prey from the shadows instead of merely rushing in at the first opportunity. This was a key weakness of the original infected, as audiences may remember from Major West’s (Christopher Eccleston) imprisonment of the zombies in 28 Days Later — his army relied on the zombies being effectively without critical thought, which is how he managed to keep them chained.

However, the infected now may be far too intelligent for any tricks like that. The trailer shows them hiding in the shadows, waiting for the opportune moment to attack their victims. They also attack from behind, showing a level of strategy that wasn’t present in the first movies. This subtle change in 28 Years Later immediately makes the zombies a bigger threat, which is sure to make the sequel even more exciting.

The zombies also appear to be in very different stages of evolution in the 28 Years Later trailer. Some of them have become little more than skin and bones, while others look surprisingly human despite their bloodsH๏τ eyes and erratic behavior. This could suggest that some zombies are somehow “less” infected than others, or some kind of human/zombie hybrids. It would make sense for these lesser zombies to have more intelligence than those who’ve totally lost their humanity.

3

The Infected Might Not Be The Main Villain Of The Sequel

The Humans Could Have Turned More Dangerous Than The Zombies

Throughout the 28 Days Later series, the zombies have always been the main villains of the story. There have been secondary villains, such as Major West’s soldiers in the first movie, but the infected are always at the forefront of the conflict. However, the marketing for 28 Years Later indicates something more complex at the heart of the story, as if humanity itself may be the central villain here.

The concept of the military being the true antagonist in 28 Years Later has been a leading theory since the project was announced, and the trailers definitely support that idea so far. Not only would it make the sequel infinitely more frightening because of the military power that the heroes will have to fight against, but it would also make room for some biting social commentary that feels very in tune with writer Alex Garland’s recent filmography.

The cult-like imagery that repeatedly appears in the 28 Years Later marketing, along with the huge towers of skulls that loom over the fields, also suggests a level of cooperation and strategy beyond even the advanced zombies. There may be some faction of humanity behind these structures and symbols, perhaps those who’ve turned to scavenging or raiding during the apocalypse. Perhaps it’s these humans that 28 Years Later will frame as the villains, with the zombies and the military merely acting in the background.

2

There May Be Some Infected Sympathizers In Humanity Now

The Infected May Have Some Allegiances Among Humanity

In a similar vein, 28 Years Later may have subtly revealed that certain factions of humanity are working alongside the infected. This would lend credence to the theory that the zombies have somehow become more intelligent and learned to communicate, tricking humanity into helping them in exchange for letting them live. The main evidence behind this theory comes at the end of the most recent trailer when a priest encourages the zombies to storm his church and kill the visitors.

The idea of zombies that can communicate with humans is nothing new — in fact, the idea was actually cut from an early draft of 28 Days Later’s script. However, this concept was quickly scrapped in favor of more indecipherable creatures, with Danny Boyle claiming that it made them seem less human and more frightening.

1

Some Infected Seem Much Skinnier And Less Healthy Than Others

There Are Multiple Different Kinds Of Infected In The Trailers

Throughout the 28 Days Later series, the infected have generally all looked the same; they’re malnourished but recognizably human, with bloodsH๏τ eyes and rotten flesh. This doesn’t seem to be the case anymore, as 28 Years Later has already revealed several different kinds of infection with varying physical forms. While some of them are much larger, stronger, and more muscular than expected, several of the zombies from the trailer also look incredibly pale and thin.

These physical differences are likely a result of the infected’s different lifestyles. It’s been almost three decades since the infection broke out, so their numbers would naturally be much larger — this subsequently means that they’ve possibly formed makeshift societies in different parts of the country. The city-dwelling infected probably haven’t encountered much trouble with food, but those in more rural areas may be starving and malnourished as a result of the dwindling human population. This would. be a very interesting subplot for 28 Years Later to explore, giving more depth to the zombies.