With such a huge gap in time since the last chapter, 2008’s The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, The Mummy 4 could feasibly avoid mistakes in the direction of its overarching storyline. Audiences may recall that the classic The Mummy formula — O’Connell and his team taking on an undead monster hellbent on ruling the world — had worn thin and didn’t go over as well in the third film, causing it to become an unfortunate flop. Seeing as enough time has passed to forget the overdone mistakes of the franchise and begin anew, The Mummy 4 could essentially capitalize off of avoiding the same recycled storyline problems.

A The Mummy 4 Brendan Fraser appearance would bring with it the need to explain the passage of time, the circumstances of Rick O’Connell’s return to adventuring, and what happened to the original The Mummy gang in the interim. Besides the fact that this type of storyline would be relatively new to The Mummy franchise, The Mummy 4 following in this direction would give a fresh feel. A perfect mix of nostalgia and an explanation of where the well-missed cast of characters ended up could restore the hype behind the ingenuity of the original The Mummy and the aspects that worked well throughout the rest of the franchise.