Exclusive: Brendan Fraser Eyed For The Mummy 4
Now, we've learned that because of how Brendan Fraser's fans have rallied for him, Universal wants to see him return as Rick O'Connell for The Mummy 4.
This article is more than 2 years old
A Brenaissance is happening. Before 2021, it had been a while since Brendan Fraser was in the spotlight. This year though, audiences have seen him return in a big way. After a wholesome video of the star went viral, fans collected to cheer the actor on, waiting for news of more upcoming roles for his big comeback. His fanbase wants to see him succeed. That’s something the studios take notice of. Now, after some work from one of our trusted and proven inside sources, we’ve learned that because of how Brendan Fraser’s fans have rallied for him, Universal wants to see him return as Rick O’Connell for The Mummy 4.
Recently, Brendan Fraser has picked up a few roles. He’s set to play the villain for DC’s Batgirl movie. He’s playing a lawyer in a film with Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro. Still, it seems doubtful that he’s too busy to sign on for The Mummy 4, if Universal handles this well. It’s something Fraser must be aware his fans would want to see. We know that Universal wants to get Brendan Fraser back for another Mummy sequel. We have other questions though. For example, what story is Universal looking to pursue for their sequel? Do they have the other talent on board? Most important to fans, it would be great if Universal also got Rachel Weisz back as Evelyn and Stephen Sommers in the director’s chair.
In 2008, Universal released a third Mummy movie starring Brendan Fraser, but without Rachel Weisz or Stephen Sommers, who both worked on the first two. This third movie still did well at the box office but wasn’t as well-received by fans. Eventually, Universal moved forward with a Mummy reboot starring Tom Cruise. The film had an entirely different tone and wasn’t the restart they were looking to create for their Dark Universe. However, before Universal moved forward with the Tom Cruise reboot, they did have a story idea for The Mummy 4 with Brendan Fraser.
While we were unable to confirm whether Universal still has their original idea on the table, what’s known about it could be a solid starting place for what they do in the sequel. The Mummy 4 was reportedly to be titled The Mummy: Rise of the Aztec. The original intention was for Antonio Banderas to play the villain opposite Brendan Fraser’s Rick O’Connell. The movie would see the entire O’Connell clan travel to South America. Not many other details are known, but the villain is expected to be another undead character, like those Fraser has faced off against in the past.
One mark against using their original idea for Rise of the Aztec may be that it doesn’t take place in Egypt. The Mummy and The Mummy Returns both did. The third film took place in China. If Universal wants to lean as heavily as they can into what made the first Brendan Fraser film great, they may decide that a return to Egypt is in store.
Whatever their story plans, Brendan Fraser’s comeback is certainly interesting to watch. Hopefully, Universal eyeing Fraser for a return means they have a better grasp no on what audiences want to see from The Mummy.
