One key actor must return for The Mummy 4 (Apart from Brendan Fraser)

As long as Brendan Fraser returns for The Mummy 4, the film is a hopeful possibility, but another star would be required to bring the project to fruition.

There may be a time for a fourth Mummy installment in the age of remakes and reboots – but only if one crucial actor appears. Brendan Fraser has already expressed interest in returning to play Rick O’Connell (via Variety). To make The Mummy sequel a success, more than just the suave adventurer would be needed. There are other key characters in the franchise that are just as important, and history has shown that not recasting them hasn’t worked well.

Its opening weekend gross of $43 million, according to Box Office Mojo, made The Mummy franchise a critical and commercial success. The film had the perfect balance of romance and adventure – one part history, five parts campy horror. As a result of its infamous CGI Scorpion King, the 2001 sequel The Mummy Returns opened at $68 million, which was a record for a domestic opening. Despite its success at the box office, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008) was a disappointing end to the franchise. The Mummy 4 may change this – assuming it avoids past mistakes.

A notable difference between The Mummy movies and Tomb of the Dragon Emperor is the recasting of Egyptologist Evelyn O’Connell. Previously played by actress Rachel Weisz, Maria Bello took over the role in the third installment. There are few complaints about Bello’s performance, but changing such a critical character to The Mummy movies jarred the relationship between Evelyn and Rick O’Connell.

Many people were drawn to The Mummy’s first movie because of the chemistry between Weisz and Fraser. In comparison to similarly campy action movies like Indiana Jones, Evie’s passion for history and Mr. O’Connel’s charm created a unique team. To entice audiences back to the franchise, The Mummy 4 must feature the nostalgic reunion of the actors who portrayed Evelyn and Rick O’Connell.

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Weisz’s absence isn’t the only problem with The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. However, if The Mummy 4 were to be a success, it would need to learn from its predecessor’s mistakes. Tom Cruise’s The Mummy (2017), which has also been dubbed a box-office bomb, proved that it takes more than action and horror to pull off The Mummy. The Mummy 3 would have been a silly action movie without the chemistry between Weisz and Fraser.

By recasting Evelyn O’Connell, The Mummy demonstrated that the character and her importance were not valued highly enough. Brendan Fraser is unlikely to have been recast as Rick O’Connell, so it should be the same for Evie. In contrast to O’Connell, she provided charm, intelligence, and fun. If The Mummy 4 were to become the success everyone hopes for, it would need this quality as well, which gave the first The Mummy its solid foundation.

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