Confirmation that a new movie in The Mummy franchise, the one starring Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz, was welcome news to fans of the original two movies. Even before his return to prominence and an Academy Award, Fraser was vocal about being interested in going back to the series. Now, with the directors behind the Screamrevival movies spearheading it, a new Mummymovie is filming right now and is primed to deliver millennial nostalgia for a series that hasn’t had a new chapter in over a decade.
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Though the upcoming Mummy 4 has confirmed a slew of returning stars from the original movies (including at least one character that already died), it’s not without fresh faces. Among the newcomers to the call sheet is Obsession star Michael Johnston, making his blockbuster debut after the runaway success of the horror hit. When his involvement was first announced, fans of The Mummy immediately theorized his role in the story, guessing that he would take over the role of Rick and Evie’s son. In a new interview with Attitude, Johnston has officially debunked that theory, confirming instead that he’s playing a new character for the series.
The Mummy’s Michael Johnston Teases New Sequel in Beloved Franchise
Johnston confirming that his character is totally new and not Alex O’Connell was all he teased about his specific role in the film. That said, he was quick to note that The Mummy 4 is “just returning to its original formula. It’s just like that first film. It’s going to give the fans exactly what they want.” The actor further teased that The Mummy 4will waste no time getting into the thick of everything, saying “just goes immediately,” and adding: “The film rips…It’s truly an action film. It’s fight scenes and chase scenes and running through the streets.”
It’s pretty easy to see why fans believed that Johnston would take on the role of Rick and Evie’s son for the upcoming movie, in part because his character was kept a secret in the initial reporting but also because of the timeline. The previous Mummy movies revealed that Alex was born not long after the original film, which was set in 1926; with the new movie taking place some thirty years later, it would line up with Johnston’s actual age. That said, he’s ruled it out completely, meaning the question of who he’s playing is now a much bigger question mark than almost anything else about the film itself.
Johnston’s confirmation might actually reveal more about the new Mummy movie than we think. Previously, directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett seemed to indicate that 2008’s The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor may not be considered canon, largely because that film replaced Rachel Weisz with Maria Bello, but if Johnston isn’t playing Alex, that could mean the sequel is fully ignoring the things that dragged down previous Mummy movies.
Though original Alex star Freddie Boath delivered a performance that combined traits of both Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz’s characters in The Mummy Returns, Alex’s place in the story was one of comedic relief, shifting the tone of the sequel from the horror-adventure movie that fans originally loved. That said, maybe Alex is being written out entirely, the same fate Mutt Williams endured in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.
Do you think Johnston is trying to keep secrets with his role, or is he actually playing an all-new character in the film? Sound off in the comments below. The new Mummy movie is officially set to arrive on October 15, 2027.
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