Family Reunion Back On: The Mummy 4 Adds Major Star to Cast

All right, dust off those ancient relics—Universal is really going for the nostalgia jugular with The Mummy 4. We already knew Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz were on board (which, let's be honest, is the only kind of reboot anyone really wanted for this franchise). Now, they're dragging another familiar face back into the tomb: John Hannah. Yep, Jonathan is back.

It’s a Proper Family Reunion

John Hannah is officially reprising his role as Jonathan Carnahan, the scene-stealing, money-grubbing brother of Rachel Weisz’s Evelyn. If you watched those late-90s blockbusters, you’ll remember Jonathan as the guy who rarely did any actual heroics, but always managed to crack a joke or start a disaster (usually both).

Honestly, the fact that he’s returning is a little surprising—everyone was convinced these movies would get handed off to a brand new cast, or just keep ignoring the last one we got in 2008 (Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, for those keeping track). Instead, Universal’s skipping that “yetis in China” detour entirely and making this a direct sequel to 1999’s The Mummy and 2001’s The Mummy Returns. So if you ever wanted to pretend those abominable snowmen never happened... now’s your chance.

Who’s Steering the Ship This Time?

The directing duties are going to Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, a duo known for their work on the Ready or Not movies. The script is coming from David Coggeshall, who’s tasked with dusting off all that mummy mythology and (I’m hoping) keeping the tone fun instead of grimdark.

Here’s Where It Gets Timeline-y

• Main trio back: Brendan Fraser (Rick), Rachel Weisz (Evelyn), and John Hannah (Jonathan)
• Producer: Sean Daniel returns (he did the originals), joined by William Sherak, James Vanderbilt, and Paul Neinstein from the Radio Silence crew
• Filming: Starts this fall, mostly in London and Morocco
• Theatrical release: May 19, 2028 (yes, we’re planning way ahead for this one)
• Anniversary treat: Universal quietly re-released The Mummy Returns in theaters on March 27 for the 25th anniversary—just in case your memory needed a little jog

What About the Plot?

Universal’s keeping mum (no, I refuse to apologize for that pun) about actual story details. All we know is the original cast is being brought back, and script secrecy is at DEFCON 1. But if we’re reading between the lines, the old-school fun and supernatural chaos are supposed to be front and center again.

So, to sum up: The Mummy 4 is backtracking straight to the franchise’s golden age, bringing the gang back, and pretending some of the weirdest franchise missteps never happened. And honestly, good for them.

'It’s a real thrill to bring this family back together,' says the production team. 'There’s a special magic when you get the original cast in the same room again.'

Couldn’t agree more. If this keeps up, someone start prepping the scarabs and camels.