Fans quickly began making memes from the multi-second clip, many of them reaction images poking fun at aging. On Dec. 11, 2024, The Guardian confirmed that the actor is not Cillian Murphy, though these memes continue to fuel speculation about Murphy’s fate in the franchise and humorously riff on the character’s ancient appearance.

The 2003 film starred Murphy as Jim, a bicycle carrier who wakes up from a coma after the outbreak begins. He wasn’t in 28 Weeks Later, but Sony Motion Pictures chairman Tim Rothman confirmed to Deadline in May 2024 that his character will return to 28 Years Later in “a surprising way and in a way that grows.”