‘The Pressure Just Becomes Huge’: Austin Butler And Jodie Comer Open Up About Joining The Legacy Sequels 28 Years Later And Heat 2

When you’re actors in demand like Jodie Comer and Austin Butler, you become connected to all sorts of opportunities. While not all of those connections are actual offers, the internet and the trades certainly love to talk about the delicious possibilities that could arise.

However, when I recently sat down with both Comer and Butler, on behalf of an early press day for Focus Features’ 2024 movie The Bikeriders, two very unique projects came up in conversation. As Comer was just starting to be mentioned as a candidate for 28 Years Later, and with Butler being heavily speculated as circling Michael Mann’s Heat 2, I was curious what those opportunities meant to both of these young actors on the rise. Their responses were not only refreshing, but they had me even more convinced that they were perfect fits for their respective opportunities.

Jodie Comer sits on a stoop with a wistful smile on her face in The Bikeriders.

(Image credit: Focus Features)
What 28 Years Later Represents To Star Jodie Comer
Shortly before Jodie Comer was confirmed as a member of the 28 Years Later cast, my inquiry about the opportunity yielded an answer that, in hindsight, feels like it was almost a confirmation. Even removed from that context, Comer’s response to CinemaBlend showed how reverent she is of the 28 Days Later legacy, as she had this to say:

Oh my god. I mean, I feel like you can’t think of the legacy of things too much, because the pressure just becomes huge, when something is so kind of beloved. Thinking about 28 Years Later, and to consider working with someone like Danny Boyle, who is an incredibly innovative and confident filmmaker? Like, as an actor, to think, ‘Oh, I’m gonna be on set, and have that sort of direction and person leading the way,’ is really really exciting.

If I was in Jodie’s shoes, I’d probably need a little more time to compose myself into the mindset she described above. But that’s exactly what makes her a perfect fit for 28 Years Later, as her value of the process itself is greater than the legacy. That school of thought is exactly what her Bikeriders co-star Austin Butler would probably fall in line with, considering the legacy-quel role for which he’s being considered.

Austin Butler looks back coolly while he sits on his bike at night in The Bikeriders.

Austin Butler’s Gratitude For His Career Possibilities
Taking his own turn to dance with the spectre of speculation, Mr. Butler addressed the rumors that connect to everything we know about Heat 2. More specifically, the Dune: Part Two star has been suggested as playing the younger version of Val Kilmer’s character, Chris Shiherlis.

Here’s how Austin Butler, with the utmost care and targeted choice of words, discussed that possibility with CinemaBlend:

I feel incredibly fortunate right now, in every way. I feel like I’ve got to pinch myself every day, because I just…I’m like waiting to wake up from this dream. I’ve had such a fortunate time right now, getting to work with people I’ve always dreamed of working with. I feel just incredibly grateful.