With such a large time gap since the last chapter, 2008’s The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, The Mummy 4 could avoid missteps in the direction of its overall story. Audiences may remember that the classic Mummy formula (O’Connell and his team taking on an undead monster bent on ruling the world) had grown worn and didn’t work as well in the third film, causing it to become an unfortunate failure. Considering that enough time has passed for the franchise’s overwrought mistakes to be forgotten and started anew, The Mummy 4 could essentially cash in on avoiding the same recycled story problems.

A Brendan Fraser appearance in The Mummy 4 would bring with it the need to explain the passage of time, the circumstances of Rick O’Connell’s return to the adventures, and what happened to the original Mummy gang in the interim. Aside from the fact that this type of story would be relatively new to The Mummy franchise, if The Mummy 4 goes this direction, it would breathe new life into the franchise. A perfect blend of nostalgia and an explanation of where the much-missed cast of characters ended up could restore the enthusiasm behind the ingenuity of the original Mummy and the aspects that worked well in the rest of the franchise.