28 Years Later Overlooked the 1 Villain It Needed Most, But There’s Still Hope

28 Days Later is back with 28 Years Later, a harrowing film about what it means to come of age three decades after the Rage virus outbreak. Critically acclaimed and a box office success to boot, 28 Years Later overlooked a villain that debuted exclusively in the world of comics, with the franchise’s future leaving room for his return.

More of a man vs. self story rather than a tale that pits our protagonist against a specific bad guy, 28 Years Later took a commendable approach to its zombie-tinged story, with Spike, played by the young Alfie Williams, embarking on a journey of self-realization that was equal parts violent and heart-wrenching.

But before 28 Years Later was ever a twinkle in director Danny Boyle and screenwriter Alex Garland’s eyes, a 28 Days Later comic series introduced a ruthless Rage virus survivor and gangster named King Dixon, a villain who could still appear in a new 28 Years Later project — film or otherwise.

The 28 Days Later Comic Series Introduced the Villainous King Dixon of Edinburgh

28 Days Later – 2010 (Michael Alan Nelson and Alejandro Aragon)

Set between the original 28 Days Later film and its sequel 28 Weeks Later, the 24-issue 28 Days Later comic followed the continued exploits of Selena after splitting ways with Cillian Murphy’s Jim sometime after the end of the first film — a new story set in loose continuity with the movies.

28 Days Later Has a Quiet 28 Weeks Later Easter Egg, But I Promise You Missed It

28 Years Later is finally about to release, with the franchise’s comic cleverly bridging the gap between 28 Days Later and its sequel 28 Weeks Later.

Now a refugee in Norway, Selena soon joins up with reporter Clint Harris, who’s looking to cross over into London to get to the bottom of what really happened during the Rage virus’ initial outbreak. Entering the quarantine zone, Selena and her crew are eventually met by the notorious King Dixon, a drug lord who takes his throne seriously.

Traveling through Edinburgh after a particularly gut-wrenching series of events results in Clint’s cameraman, Derrick, sacrificing himself to save Clint and Selena from a horde of infected, the pair are soon captured by Dixon’s second-in-command, Raj, and brought before his “majesty.” A criminal turned self-proclaimed King of Edinburgh, “King Dixon” immediately showed why he was a great villain.

King Dixon Was a Ruthless Leader Who Didn’t Always Treat His People Well

Dixon Uses Physical Threats and Foul Language To Get His Way

Teased on the final page of 28 Days Later #14, after Selena and Clint come across multiple dead bodies strung up underneath a bridge with the sign “Glasgow Go Home” hanging above them, Dixon makes his official debut in the following issue, with Raj describing Dixon as a “drug dealing, murdering gangster.”

Another comic-exclusive story, 28 Days Later: Aftermath, was released in 2007.

Saying that as long as Dixon’s subjects show fealty and “do as he asks” he’ll keep everyone alive and safe, Raj brings Selena and Clint before Dixon, only to be forced to spend the night in the “mannequin,” a cage surrounded by a ravenous horde of infected, with Selena clearly being traumatized by the event.

Giving off the kind of sociopathic vibes that would make The Walking Dead’s Negan proud, Dixon was technically in a “good mood” when Selena and Clint met him, with Dixon and his people mixed up in a resource war with the equally as violent and disturbed survivors of the nearby city of Glasgow.

King Dixon Could Still Appear in a New 28 Days Later Project or 28 Years Later Sequel

King Dixon Was Never Explicitly Killed in the Comics

Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and Spike (Alfie Williams) running away from infected in 28 Years Later

Eventually caught up in one of their many battles with their Glaswegian enemies, King Dixon and his Edinburgh followers’ final fate was left up in the air for a potential return to the 28 Days Later franchise, with Dixon technically only featured in a couple of issues before Selena and Clint escape and move on in their travels.

Alfie Williams as Spike, Jodie Comer as Isla, and Ralph Fiennes as Dr. Kelson standing in the Bone Temple in 28 Years Later

Since this comic sits in a grey area of established 28 Days Later continuity — some events line up with film lore while others like the timeframe of when the infected overran the U.K., do not — there’s still room for King Dixon to make his return to comics in a story that skews closer to current movie canon.

So while there’s no confirmation or even rumor of King David making his live-action debut in either the upcoming 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple film or its untitled in-development sequel, the 28 Days Later series can still work using solely the infected as antagonists, something 28 Years Later proved perfectly.

28 Days Later is available from Boom! Studios.

Cast: Cillian Murphy, Naomie Harris, Brendan Gleeson, Christopher Eccleston, Robert Carlyle, Rose Byrne, Jeremy Renner, Imogen Poots, Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ralph Fiennes, Jack O’Connell
Movie(s): 28 Days Later, 28 Weeks Later, 28 Years Later