Ever sinceThe Walking Deadpremiered in 2010, the main mystery of the TV franchise has been how the zombie apocalypse started. For the most part, the comics and the shows have always been very vague about the virus' origin. There are theories that the virus is airborne, and series creator Robert Kirkman has even suggested it’s possible that it came from a spore that fell from space. However, asThe Walking Dead’s timelinehas expanded, more hints have surprisingly been revealed that point to the potentialorigin of theWalking Deadzombie outbreak.
The most notable hint towards the origin of the virus came in thepost-credits scene ofThe Walking Dead: World Beyondseason 2, which moved away from the Civic Republic Military storyline and to a French science lab. If what is revealed in this scene is true, thenthe origin of the virus inThe Walking Deadis very similar to28 Days Later’sRage virus origin— this would not be the only similarity between the two zombie-related franchises.
In the post-credits scene ofThe Walking Dead: World Beyond, a mysterious Frenchman visits a scientistin an abandoned French lab. The Frenchman accuses the scientist and her colleagues of starting the zombie apocalypse. However, the scientist argues with the Frenchman, claiming that her team wasn’t in the lab when the virus got out. “They weren’t here when it happened… when you did what you did,” she says. Therefore, this suggests that the Frenchman was actually part of a different group, that potentially released the virus.
8 Things The Walking Dead Has Revealed About The Rest Of The World After The Zombie Outbreak
The original Walking Dead show told its story predominantly in America, but the franchise has since expanded and revealed the virus' global impact.
UnlikeThe Walking Deadfranchise, the film28 Days Lateractually begins with the origin of the virus.At the beginning of28 Days Later, it is revealed that scientists created the Rage virus,and had it contained in a lab until environmental activists broke in and accidentally released it. Therefore, if French scientists created the virus inThe Walking Deaduniverse, but a separate group is technically responsible for releasing it, then the virus' origin inThe Walking Deadand28 Days Laterwould essentially be exactly the same.
Andrew Lincoln & Cillian Murphy’s Character Introductions Are Very Similar
IfThe Walking Dead’szombie virus started this way,it wouldn’t be the first time the popular franchise has copied28 Days Later. In bothThe Walking Deadand28 Days Later, the main characters wake up from a coma to discover the world has practically ended. Prior to the virus being released inThe Walking Dead, Rick Grimes was shot in the line of duty and fell into a coma.
The next sequel to28 Days Later,28 Years Later, will be released in theaters on August 06, 2025, featuring the return of star Cillian Murphy and original director Danny Boyle.
Meanwhile, in the 2002 post-apocalyptic horror movie, Jim got into an accident while riding his bike and didn’t wake up until 28 days after the outbreak. While the start of Rick and Jim’s stories are so similar in their respective franchises, they are both equally effective, sincethe idea of a character waking up weeks into a zombie apocalypse is such an intriguing hook.
The viewers immediately sympathize with both of these characters, as they discover the post-apocalyptic worlds through their eyes. Therefore, while it’s possible thatThe Walking Deaduniverse is borrowing a lot of ideas from28 Days Later, being inspired by something else is not necessarily a bad thing.
The Walking Dead
The Walking Deadis a massive multimedia franchise that began with a comic book series created by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard. The franchise gained widespread popularity with the launch of the television seriesThe Walking Deadin 2010 on AMC, which chronicles the lives of survivors in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by zombies, referred to as “walkers.” The success of the original show has led to numerous spin-offs, web series, video games, novels, and other media. The franchise explores themes of survival, human nature, and the breakdown of society in the face of an existential threat, making it one of the most successful and influential horror series of the 21st century.
28 Days Later
The28 Days Laterfranchise is a British post-apocalyptic horror series that began with the 2002 film28 Days Later, followed by the 2007 sequel28 Weeks Later. It explores a world ravaged by the Rage Virus, focusing on survivors navigating an outbreak of violent, infected humans. The franchise is set to continue with a new trilogy, beginning with28 Years Laterin 2025.
