Not even fans of 28 Days Later seem to talk about the ill-fated Mark, but he’s a key character during the movie’s first half. This Danny Boyle movie brought fresh life to the zombie genre in 2002, which had largely been dormant since the 1980s. Sure, the Rage Virus-infected technically aren’t unᴅᴇᴀᴅ like classic zombies, but they’re still honorary members.
The film’s success also paved the way for later zombie fare like the Dawn of the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ remake and The Walking ᴅᴇᴀᴅ. While the original wasn’t designed with sequels in mind, the 28 Days Later franchise has become one of the most unique in the entire genre.
They’re very, very British and bleak, but they also feature star-studded casts (Cillian Murphy, Jeremy Renner, Rose Byrne, etc.). The success of 28 Years Later proves there’s life in the series yet, and two more sequels are planned.
While audiences ponder how Cillian Murphy’s Jum will be reintroduced to the saga, let’s spare a moment for those characters who won’t be making a comeback. Brendan Gleeson’s beloved taxi driver Frank or Jeremy Renner’s noble soldier Doyle may get all the attention, but very few bring up 28 Days Later’s Mark.
Remember Mark From 28 Days Later? He’s Kind Of Important
Following Jim’s iconic walk around an abandoned London, he’s saved from his first encounter with the infected by two survivors: Selena (Naomie Harris) and Mark (Noah Huntley). They risk their lives to rescue Jim and bring him up to speed on what’s happened to the UK after the Rage Virus outbreak.
For a time, Jim, Selena and Mark form a trio, and it looks like the latter will be one of 28 Days Later’s protagonists. He’s given equal screentime to Jim and Selena, with Huntley getting to deliver a chilling monologue about what happened to his family at an overcrowded Paddington Station.
However, screenwriter Alex Garland uses Mark to wrongfoot audiences and underline just how lethal the Rage Virus is. After the gang is attacked in the home of Jim’s parents, Mark is seen desperately rubbing a bleeding wound. Not willing to take the chance he’s uninfected, Selena viciously hacks Mark to death.
It’s one of the most disturbing moments of 28 Days Later, especially since the movie took time to develop Mark. It also leaves the lingering unanswered question: Was Mark actually infected?
Cillian Murphy’s Jim Wouldn’t Have Survived Without Mark
Given how icy Selena is towards other survivors as a defense mechanism – believing empathy is a weakness in post-Rage Virus Britain – it was clearly Mark’s call to save Jim. While Selena’s detailing of the outbreak is all cold, hard facts, Mark shows some empathy towards the disoriented Jim.
It’s also Mark’s call to take Jim to his parents’ house so he can confirm their fate, and he helps save Jim again when the infected smash into the house. Sadly for Mark, his death in 28 Days Later probably only strengthened Selena’s belief that kindness is a liability in this new world.
If he hadn’t saved Jim and taken him to his parents’ house, Mark’s fate could have been very different. Then again, the life expectancy of anybody left in Britain following the outbreak would be quite short, so it’s hard to say how much longer Mark would have survived if he hadn’t crossed paths with Jim.
Mark Is The One Innocent Character Jim Got Killed
Mark’s death proves two things to Jim: one, Selena will not hesitate to kill if she feels threatened, and two, he always needs to be cautious, even if things appear safe. While visiting his parents’ house, Jim absentmindedly lights a candle, which two infected can see from the outside.
This results in the home invasion that, in turn, leads to Mark’s death. If Jim hadn’t lit that candle, the infected wouldn’t have known any survivors were in the house. It was a tiny mistake on Jim’s part, but it still got Mark killed.
Of course, Jim takes a more direct approach to killing in 28 Days Later’s finale when he attacks the soldiers. They were far from innocent, though, while Mark was an unfortunate victim of a momentary lapse in judgment.
Mark’s Main Purpose Was Highlighting Selena’s Growth Across 28 Days Later
Jim gets a crash course in survival throughout 28 Days Later, waking up in a world that’s already gone to Hell. He has to learn on the job, with Selena being a tough coach. Her lack of hesitation in killing Mark and willingness to abandon Jim if he falls behind show how hardened she has become.
While Jim learns to balance having faith in humanity while also being ruthless when necessary, Selena’s 28 Days Later arc involves learning to trust people again. The time she spends with Jim, Frank and his daughter Hannah (Megan Burns) puts Selena back in touch with her empathy and gives her a sense of hope.
It’s currently unknown if Naomie Harris’ Selena will return for either of the forthcoming 28 Years Later sequels alongside Cillian Murphy’s Jim.
That’s tested to the max when she and Hannah are kidnapped by soldiers during the third act. It’s up to Jim to rescue them, but while he’s not infected by the Rage Virus, his actions (including gouging out a soldier’s eyes) sure make him look that way.
In a moment that highlights how Selena has evolved throughout 28 Days Later, she hesitates as she’s lifting her machete to Jim, taking a second to confirm he’s not infected. It might have been a fittingly tragic ending had Selena killed Jim believing he was infected, but the movie takes the more hopeful route. Unfortunately, Mark wasn’t so lucky.
