The following contains spoilers for 28 Years Later.Aaron Taylor-Johnson talks about where 28 Years Later leaves Jamie. Taking place nearly three decades after the Rage Virus devastated Great Britain, the third installment in the franchise zooms in on a small island occupied by survivors. Johnson plays a family patriarch who takes his coming-of-age son Spike (Alfie Williams) to the mainland and teaches him how to defend himself against the infested while his wife Isla (Jodie Comer) is sick due to an unknown disease. After their first trip, Spike takes Isla to the mainland to look for a doctor.
In an interview with ScreenRant‘s Liam Crowley, Taylor-Johnson broke down Jamie’s mindset in light of the separation in the family. The actor explained that Jamie, who is perceived as “a warrior” on the island and someone in control, may have been “in denial” about his wife’s condition. Because Jamie values his family greatly, the actor explained, without giving any spoilers, the realization of losing them both may drive Jamie to a place where he’d want redemption. Read his comment below:
I guess you don’t really get to see a sense of that, right? I think there’s a lot of fear and guilt and a sense of he’s lost control. He’s a character who very much feels like he’s in control and he’s found a purpose on this island, on this Holy Island within this community. He’s a bit of a warrior, someone who goes out to the mainland. He’s very useful in what he does. But yes, I think his son means everything to him and I think his wife does too, but I think he’s very much in denial of her condition and I think he maybe put a bit too much pressure and projected a lot onto his son. I think once he loses control, I think he is in a place where he probably wants to somehow redeem that. I don’t want to give any spoilers [for the next movie], but I don’t if he’s yet to kind of get there in that bit because Spike goes on and he takes the lead in what he needs to do for his mother.
What This Means For 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
Jamie, Spike, and Jimmy Will Return In The Sequel
Taylor-Johnson will return in the Nia DaCosta-directed sequel that was sH๏τ back-to-back with 28 Years Later. He’s joined by Williams, Cillian Murphy, and Jack O’Connell, who appeared as adult Jimmy at the end of the movie. In the same ScreenRant‘s interview with 28 Years Later‘s cast and crew, Boyle also teased that the direct sequel that picks up after the events in the 2025 horror flick will take a closer look at O’Connell’s character, the cult leader who rescued Spike, but isn’t someone to be trusted.
In the movie, Spike confronted Jamie about his affair and denial of Isla’s condition, which caused the family patriarch to lash out at his son. After a heated moment, Spike took his mother to the mainland. At 28 Years Later‘s ending, Jamie receives a letter from Spike, informing him that he isn’t going to come back, which leaves Jamie devastated. Taylor-Johnson’s comments indicate that the first movie could potentially set up Jamie’s redemption arc in The Bone Temple.
Our Take On Jamie’s 28 Years Later Ending
Jamie’s Life Is Turned Upside Down
28 Years Later has only told the first half of the story between Spike and his father, Jamie. The affair and the loss of Isla rattled their father-and-son relationship, but it’s clear this isn’t where their story ends. Even though the first movie leaves Jamie shattered and devastated about his son’s departure, he’ll likely take action to repair what’s been broken.
Taylor-Johnson’s insight into Jamie’s personality and warrior mindset offers some clues to where the character might be up to in The Bone Temple, coming to theaters in January 2026. Jamie will likely go after Spike against the island’s clear rule that forbids its residents from looking for those who voluntarily travel to the mainland. While Jimmy may have saved Spike from being devoured by the infected, 28 Years Later leaves the young boy in a vulnerable position, where he might need his father.
