Who is Jimmy in 28 Years Later? Character explored

The upcoming film 28 Years Later marks the return of the viral apocalypse universe first introduced in Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later. Directed by Boyle and written by Alex Garland, 28 Years Later is the first installment of a planned trilogy and was released in cinemas on June 20, 2025.

The film stars Jodie Comer as Isla, Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Jamie, Ralph Fiennes as Dr. Ian Kelson, Jack O’Connell as Sir Jimmy Crystal, and Alfie Williams in his feature film debut as Spike.

Set nearly three decades after the outbreak of the Rage Virus, the film continues the story of survivors navigating a quarantined Britain, still haunted by the past and overrun by the infected. While the movie revisits its apocalyptic roots, one of the most striking new characters is Jimmy. Jimmy is introduced in the film’s final sequence and is portrayed by Jack O’Connell.

Jimmy emerges as a cult-like leader commanding a group dressed in matching attire and stylized in ways reminiscent of disgraced British entertainer Jimmy Savile. His appearance creates an unexpected and controversial shift in the narrative, introducing a storyline that will continue in the upcoming sequel, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, expected in January 2026.

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Jimmy’s role in 28 Years Later explained

Jack O'Connell plays Sir Jimmy Crystal in 28 Years Later. (Image via Getty)

Jimmy, whose full name is Sir Jimmy Crystal, is played by Jack O’Connell. The character is revealed in the film’s conclusion as the same boy seen in the movie’s 2002-set prologue.

As a child, Jimmy witnessed his family being killed by the infected while watching Teletubbies on television. He escapes to a church, where his father, a local priest, gives him a crucifix and urges him to flee before he is overtaken. This traumatic event sets the foundation for Jimmy’s transformation into a cult leader twenty-eight years later.

By the end of the film, Jimmy has adopted an eccentric persona. He appears wearing a bleach-blonde wig, a brightly colored tracksuit, heavy rings, and the same crucifix necklace. His group, known as the “Jimmies,” dresses in similar fashion and follows him with near-military precision.

They wield unconventional weapons and fight with stylized flips and movements, creating a surreal, almost theatrical, presence. Physically, Jimmy appears lean, wiry, and always in motion, carrying an aura that blends charisma with danger. His mannerisms are exaggerated, performative, and unsettling.

Jimmy’s character is a symbolic and controversial figure. The design and behavior of both him and his followers closely resemble disgraced UK entertainer Jimmy Savile. British viewers immediately recognized the visual cues, while others interpreted it more generally as eccentric cult imagery.

Garland and Boyle confirmed that the character’s traits reflect a distorted form of hero worship filtered through childhood trauma. In a Q&A with Empire published on 20th June, 2025, Boyle explained that Jimmy processes his early loss and isolation through cultural references, religion, and twisted memories of authority.

Jimmy is not merely a survivor but a product of a society that never had time to reconcile its truths. Raised in isolation, lacking institutions and education, he forms a belief system rooted in spectacle and control. His cult's appearance and rituals serve as both a coping mechanism and a way to assert dominance.

His emergence near the end of the film, rescuing Spike, signals a shift in narrative focus from survival to ideology. Danny Boyle noted that the sequel will explore "the nature of evil," with Jimmy’s character playing a central role in The Bone Temple.

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What is 28 Years Later about

Ralph Fiennes, as Dr. Ian Kelson in 28 Years Later, is a survivor who builds the Bone Temple amidst the chaos of the infected world. (Image via YouTube/Sony Pictures Entertainment)

28 Years Later is a post-apocalyptic horror film that takes place nearly three decades after the Rage Virus first broke out in 2002. According to the film’s official synopsis, the story begins on Lindisfarne, a small island off the UK coast, where a group of survivors lives in isolation. Jamie, Isla, and their son Spike live on this island, but a coming-of-age ritual pushes Spike and Jamie to the mainland, where they face evolved variants of the infected led by an Alpha.

The narrative shifts focus to Spike, who encounters various survivors, including a NATO soldier and the mysterious Dr. Ian Kelson. Kelson is building a Bone Temple from cleaned human remains and becomes a spiritual guide for Spike. After Isla dies, Spike leaves the island and sets off alone, marking a turning point in the story.

The final moments of the film introduce Sir Jimmy Crystal and his cult, setting up the next phase of the trilogy. The infected continue to evolve, and the UK's quarantine remains intact. According to production sources and interviews, the sequel The Bone Temple, directed by Nia DaCosta, will expand on the mythology and introduce further commentary on power and societal collapse.

28 Years Later runs for 115 minutes and is produced by Columbia Pictures, DNA Films, and Decibel Films. It was shot across various locations in the UK and was released theatrically by Sony Pictures Releasing.

Jimmy’s role in 28 Years Later adds a controversial and symbolic layer to the narrative. Played by Jack O’Connell, he embodies a traumatic convergence of post-apocalyptic survival, pop culture distortion, and institutional failure. His arrival in the final scenes signals a tonal shift and introduces questions about leadership, memory, and influence in the world of the infected.

With The Bone Temple already filmed and set for release in January 2026, audiences will soon learn more about the Jimmies and the true scope of Jimmy Crystal’s ideology. Until then, 28 Years Later remains a pivotal chapter in the franchise’s evolution, exploring not just physical horror but the legacy of societal decay.

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