Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for 28 Years LaterThe final scene of 28 Years Later has taken many people by surprise, since it adopts a completely different tone from the rest of the movie. Ever since the project was announced, fans have been excited to see the next entry in the 28 Days Later franchise, which, despite immediately retconning its ending, follows up 2007’s 28 Weeks Later. At the end of the franchise’s previous movie, infected were seen in Paris, France and the Rage Virus was seemingly going to spread to the rest of the world.

However, the beginning of 28 Years Later immediately establishes that the virus is contained to the United Kingdom. By the end of 28 Years Later, there is no suggestion that the virus is going to spread to the rest of the world. Instead, it seems like the upcoming 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple will continue to focus on the survivors in the U.K., such as Spike, Jamie, and Dr. Kelson. These are interesting characters to further explore in the sequel, but the introduction of Jack O’Connell’s Jimmy at the end of 28 Years Later has shocked fans.

28 Years Later’s Final Scene With Jimmy Explained

28 Years Later Ends With A Surprising Action Scene

During the final act of 28 Years Later, Spike brings his mom, Isla, to Dr. Kelson, hoping that he can potentially save her life. However, after examining Isla and surmising that she has cancer, Dr. Kelson believes that it is best for her to die. Therefore, Isla willingly lets Dr. Kelson kill her, then Spike adds her skull to The Bone Temple. After this emotional moment, Spike delivers the baby that was born from an infected back to Holy Island, but decides to go back to the mainland on his own.

In a note to his father, Spike asks that nobody come looking for him. At the very end of the film, it is revealed that Spike has survived on the mainland for 28 days, becoming a more capable survivor while also likely processing the death of his mother and reflecting on his strained relationship with his father. Even though he has survived on his own for quite some time on the mainland, Spike encounters a group of infected that pose a major threat in the final moments of 28 Years Later.

He is trapped on a blocked-off road, and is in serious trouble until O’Connell’s Jimmy arrives. Jimmy, who is the child that survived the initial Rage Virus outbreak at the beginning of 28 Years Later, greets Spike and asks if his group can handle the infected. Spike accepts their help and Jimmy’s group hop down to the road and quickly prove how capable they are against the infected. The members of Jimmy’s group do impressive flips and kill all the infected in miraculous fashion in an action scene that has a much different tone from the rest of the film.

How 28 Years Later’s Final Scene Is Different From The Rest Of The Movie

Was 28 Years Later Inspired By Power Rangers?

There is a lot of action in 28 Years Later, but the sequence featuring Jimmy’s group is very different from anything else seen in the film. In the first half of the movie, Spike travels to the mainland with his father, Jamie, to get his first kill. He achieves this, but the two of them run into some problems after getting chased by an Alpha and his group of infected. The first half of 28 Years Later feels like a traditional survival horror movie which follows characters that are quite grounded, which is exactly what fans expected.

All the survivors that reside on Holy Island appear to be quite normal, for lack of a better word. While Dr. Kelson has a very interesting belief system, he also fits in with the other characters in the film. However, Jimmy and his group seem like they belong in a superhero movie, rather than the 28 Days Later franchise. The action sequence at the end of 28 Years Later actually seems like it was inspired by a Power Rangers scene, which is why the film’s final moments have been so polarizing.

28 Years Later’s Jimmy Scene Is One Of The Film’s Most Polarizing Moments

Jimmy Could Be A Controversial Character In The 28 Years Later Trilogy

28 Years Later broke a franchise record with its impressive Rotten Tomatoes score. Currently, the third film in the franchise has a critics score of 92% (via Rotten Tomatoes), which beats 28 Days Later’s 87% and easily surpᴀsses 28 Weeks Later’s 72%. Even though the new film in the franchise has received generally positive reviews, many fans and critics have taken issue with the movie’s final sequence.

The main story of the film, which revolves around Spike, his parents, and Dr. Kelson, is very intriguing and sets up an exciting new chapter for the franchise. However, it’s hard to deny that the introduction of Jimmy’s group at the end of 28 Years Later feels so random. Even though there are several hints at Jimmy’s role in the trilogy throughout the movie, he and the members of his group initially seem too cartoonish to fit into the world of the franchise. Therefore, 28 Years Later’s final action scene is easily the most controversial moment of the movie.

What Jimmy’s Presence & The Final Scene Reveal About 28 Years Later’s Sequel

Jimmy Will Return In 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple

Regardless of what some fans and critics think of the ending of the movie, it’s clear that Jimmy and his group will be important characters in 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple. The upcoming sequel has already been filmed and is currently slated for a January 16, 2026 release. Right now, not much is known about Jimmy, but him wearing the cross his father gave him upside down suggests that he probably has a twisted view of the world.

Therefore, there’s a strong chance that Jimmy and his group will be major villains in the new trilogy, and could clash with characters like Spike, Dr. Kelson, Jamie, and other survivors from Holy Island. Additionally, based on the introduction of Jimmy’s group, it seems like The Bone Temple may have a much different tone than the first 28 Years Later movie, which may not resonate with some fans. Overall, after the polarizing ending of 28 Years Later, I’m curious to see what Jimmy’s role in the trilogy will be.