How Cillian Murphy's 28 Years Later return perfectly sets up third

Warning: This article contains spoilers for the ending of 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple

The latest instalment of Danny Boyle and Alex Garland's 28 Days Later franchise has cemented Cillian Murphy's return as Jim, a former bicycle courier whose experiences in post-apocalyptic London introduced us to the iconic franchise more than 23 years ago.

Fans had been awaiting Murphy's return to the sequel trilogy, which had been teased by Boyle before 28 Years Later made it to cinemas in June last year. The director has now called his The Bone Temple cameo a 'very satisfying introduction' which sets up the final film in a Q&A with IndieWire.

Now that The Bone Temple is out in cinemas and receiving overwhelmingly positive reviews from both fans and critics, we can all breathe a sigh of relief in knowing that the trilogy will be finished.

So, how does Jim return in The Bone Temple?

Full spoilers for the film are below, which means this is your last chance to stop reading.

How does 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple re-introduce Jim?

After surviving the hellish, sadistic cult of Sir Jimmy Crystal (Jack O'Connell), Spike (Alfie Williams) and Jimmy Ink/Kelly (Erin Kellyman) band together in order to navigate a rage virus infected England.

The two youngsters soon get into a spot of trouble and find themselves being pursued by the infected. Fortunately for the pair, their predicament is witnessed by Jim, who is currently giving his daughter Sam a history lesson.

Because not even a complete collapse of society stands in the way of school.

The ending of The Bone Temple revealed how Jim returns (Searchlight Pictures)

After spotting the pair fleeing, Sam asks if they're going to assist Spike and Kelly in escaping, to which Jim replies 'of course'.

Add in John Murphy's iconic 28 Days Later track 'In the House - In a Heartbeat' and the franchise is teed up and ready for it's final instalment.

How does Jim's return set up a third 28 Years Later film?

Alongside being a satisfying moment for fans, Jim's return opens up numerous questions which will hopefully be answered in an upcoming film.

First and foremost, what happened to Naomie Harris's character, Selena?

The ally-turned-romantic partner of Jim, Harris is yet to be confirmed for a return, with Boyle telling Empire last year that 'at the moment it’s just Cillian' reprising his role, meaning Selena's fate is currently unknown.

The film's closing moments sees Spike and Jim cross paths (Searchlight Pictures)

Meanwhile fans will likely also be wondering if Spike's survival will see him reunite with his estranged father Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), who was, of course, noticeably absent from The Bone Temple.

There are also unanswered questions about Chi Lewis-Parry's Samson, who – thanks to his close bond with Dr Ian Kelson – has regained access to his human self and is now the best hope for Britain to outlive the rage virus.

That is, if he's able to able to build trust with the rest of the surviving cast, after his close friend and only ally Dr Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) was fatally stabbed by Sir Jimmy Crystal during a showdown at his sanctuary.

Erin Kellyman's character Kelly, formerly Jimmy Ink, also lives to fight another day (Searchlight Pictures)

Has a third 28 Years Later film been confirmed?

Yes, a third 28 Years Later film is in the works, with Empire reporting back in December that Sony had committed to a third instalment.

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is now out in cinemas.