Warning: Contains SPOILERS for 28 Years Later!

28 Years Later is finally here, and here is every way in which the highly anticipated sequel has expanded on the world of the franchise, explained. 28 Days Later showed how dangerous the Rage Virus is, and 28 Weeks Later showed how difficult it is to fend off, with many fans expecting 28 Years Later to show the disastrous effects of nearly three years of the Rage Virus epidemic. Luckily, 28 Years Later delivers on this, showing how the Rage Virus’ reign has completely changed the world within the United Kingdom and outside of it.

The aptly-тιтled 28 Years Later is set 28 years after the initial Rage Virus outbreak seen in 28 Days Later. The land that the Rage Virus has contaminated has been sealed off, with no outsiders going into the United Kingdom and no insiders leaving it. The film doesn’t spend much time focusing on the outside world, with it instead focusing on several members of a community in Scotland. A young boy leaves the community and makes the trek onto the mainland, fighting off Rage Virus zombies on his quest to locate a survivor who was a doctor before the outbreak.

10

The Infected Area Has Been Quarantined, Creating The Unconditional Isolation Zone

Nobody Can Leave The UIZ

28 Years Later doesn’t give much context for what is going on outside of the Rage Virus infected area. However, a soldier from Sweden winds up in the quarantined zone after his boat crashes, with him meeting the main characters. This character, along with various text and maps that are seen in the film, reveal the state of the world after the events of 28 Weeks Later. The United Kingdom never recovered from the second Rage Virus outbreak. Thus, the outside world decided that they had to seal it off.

This created the Unconditional Isolation Zone, which consists of the United Kingdom and its surrounding land mᴀsses. The map of the UIZ seen in the film reveals that the area is surrounded in a no-fly zone. Outside of that, NATO ships patrol the land, keeping the Rage Virus infection at bay. A quarantine order has been put in place, preventing inhabitants of the UIZ from leaving. There have been no further attempts to retake the UIZ, with NATO simply attempting to keep things at bay as the outside world moves on from the Rage Virus disaster that was started in 2002.

9

Europe Has Fought The Rage Virus Off

It Is Isolated To The UIZ

At the end of 28 Weeks Later, a second outbreak of the Rage Virus occurs. An immune carrier of the Rage Virus is put on a helicopter and flown to France. However, it is later revealed that the helicopter crashed, causing the Rage Virus to reach mainland Europe. Rage Virus zombies are seen taking over Paris, teasing that the sequel to 28 Weeks Later would focus on a world infected by the Rage Virus.

However, 28 Years Later reveals that this isn’t the case. Europe managed to fight the Rage Virus zombies off, quelling the epidemic before it got too big. Although the condition of Paris wasn’t revealed in 28 Years Later, it seems that the outbreak didn’t spread beyond France. NATO has set up a Europe wall that stretches across the border of France and the neighboring countries, with this meant to stop any potential Rage Virus outbreaks that cross the English Channel.

8

Anyone Who Enters The UIZ Can Never Leave

The Soldiers Recognize This When They Crash

At one point in 28 Years Later, a Swedish ship hits something in the water, causing it to sink. Eight of the soldiers on board make it to the UIZ, although they are quickly killed off. The final soldier meets the main characters of 28 Years Later, where he explains his regrets about going on the mission. As it turns out, everyone outside of the UIZ knows that the quarantine order means that anyone who enters the UIZ can’t exit it. So, even if the soldier would have survived his encounters with the Rage Virus zombies, he would have been stuck in the UIZ for the rest of his life.

7

Other Countries Are Keeping Details About The UIZ Hidden

There Are Lots Of Questions About The Rage Virus

Interestingly, there is a lot of mystery surrounding the UIZ in the outside world. Although the highly publicized events of 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later mean that people know about the existence of the zombies, the militaries that are patrolling the UIZ are very secretive about the area. Outsiders don’t know the state of the UIZ’s survivors, and they don’t know about the evolved forms of Rage Virus zombies that have begun to pop up.

6

Communes & Cults Are Appearing In The UIZ

Beyond The Lindisfarne Island Community

The UIZ still has a lot of human survivors who have managed to outlast the Rage Virus, and some are much newer than others. The main and most normal commune seen in 28 Years Later is the town seen in Lindisfarne. This island village has been operating since 2002, and while it has developed its own culture and traditions, it isn’t too far off from some of the pre-outbreak towns.

However, this is far from the only society that exists. There is talk of different groups of survivors, although many aren’t seen in the film. Dr. Ian Kelson has managed to live by himself in the mainlands, with him collecting the bones of the fallen and building a temple of skulls. Meanwhile, the cult of Sir Jimmy Crystal is seen at the end of the film, although not much context for who they are is given.

5

28 Years Later Introduces A New Type Of Zombie

The Rage Virus Is Evolving

When Jamie takes Spike on his first hunt, he shows him an easy zombie to kill. These are a new type of zombie, with them being bloated, slow creatures who crawl on all fours. They eat worms and other bugs, and can get up on two legs when attacking. A child version of this zombie variant is seen, as well as several other specimens. What has caused the zombies to evolve in this way isn’t revealed, but they have clearly changed a lot in the two decades since the second Rage Virus outbreak began.

4

Alpha Zombies Are Major Threats In The UIZ

Samson Is The Leader Of The Pack

These bloated zombies aren’t the only new type seen in 28 Years Later, as the film also introduces the concept of Alpha zombies. The Alpha zombie seen in 28 Years Later is named Samson by Dr. Ian Kelson, with him being seemingly unkillable. The brute takes several arrows and doesn’t waver, with him only being stopped by Kelson’s medical darts. The other Rage Virus zombies listen to the Alpha, only attacking when he tells them to. So, the zombies seem to be forming small societies of their own, following authority based on who is the largest and strongest zombie.

3

Iodine Blocks The Rage Virus

This Is A Mᴀssive Development For The UIZ

Dr. Kelson is constantly covered in red and orange paint, with him explaining that it is iodine. As it turns out, iodine repels the Rage Virus, allowing him to come into contact with the blood of the Rage Virus zombies. This is a big discovery, as it could be put to good use by many of the survivors who have to face off against the zombies.

2

No People Immune To The Rage Virus Are Seen In 28 Years Later

Are Any Immune Peopl Still Around?

One of the biggest reveals in 28 Weeks Later is that immune carriers of the Rage Virus exist. Two of them are seen in the sequel, with the story revolving around this reveal. However, no immune people are seen in 28 Years Later. Although this doesn’t mean that there aren’t any immune people, the lack of them combined with undoung the end of 28 Weeks Later means that this storyline probably won’t return anytime soon.

1

Rage Virus Zombies Can Have Kids

That Aren’t Infected

All kinds of Rage Virus zombies are seen in 28 Years Later, but one of the most interesting ones is the pregnant zombie. At one point, a pregnant zombie gives birth to a human baby. The main characters take this baby in, as it doesn’t seem to be infected with the Rage Virus. This baby will probably play a bigger role in the sequel to 28 Years Later, as it was brought back to the Lindisfarne commune at the end of the film.