Is That Cillian Murphy as a Zombie in '28 Years Later'?

The 28 Days Later zombie franchise has always had a knack for blending tension and horror with mystery, and the newest installment appears to be no exception to the rule.

The trailer for 28 Years Later, which dropped Tuesday on YouTube, is leaving fans wondering if Cillian Murphy, the Oscar-winning actor who led the original film as Jim, is making an undead comeback.

Fans have been quick to notice the glaring absence of Murphy on the cast list, despite his credits as executive producer.

However, a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment in the trailer where a very familiar looking zombie sits up, lacking Murphy’s signature piercing blue eyes but still blessed with a remarkably well-defined jaw despite undeniably difficult circumstances, has sent Murphy’s huge online fanbase into social media huddle.

Columbia Pictures declined to comment to The Hollywood Reporter (which, of course, has only fueled yet more speculation).

For those unfamiliar with this particular version of the apocalypse, Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later (2002) redefined the zombie genre with its portrayal of societal collapse. Written by Alex Garland, the film followed Jim (Murphy), a courier waking up from a coma to find London eerily empty and terrifyingly overrun.

The sequel, 28 Weeks Later (2007), directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, expanded the story, but Murphy’s character was absent.

There has been considerable excitement among fans of the cult classic that, nearly two decades later, Boyle is back in the director’s chair, once again partnered with Garland, with 28 Years Later looking set to evoke the more visceral style of the original as it explores how humanity has evolved nearly three decades after the outbreak.

Early indications suggest: not too well, with survivors apparently carving out a rugged existence in the wilderness and fending off relentless hordes of infected. IMDB listings show the new cast includes Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Ralph Fiennes, but given that Murphy is not listed beyond an exec producer role, his zombie cameo is likely just a special Easter egg for diehard fans.

As for Murphy, his schedule has been packed, returning as Tommy Shelby for the upcoming Peaky Blinders movie, releasing the critically acclaimed Small Things Like These, and even reviving a historic movie theater in County Kerry in his native Ireland.