Bringing Back Dwayne Johnson’s Scorpion King For The Mummy 4 Would Rectify The Franchise’s Biggest Mistake

The Mummy 4 should really bring back Dwayne Johnson’s Scorpion King to redeem two key mistakes from franchise’s past. The Mummy movie franchise has been dormant for many years, but thankfully, a fourth entry with Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz is currently in development.

Details on the upcoming The Mummy 4 are thin on the ground, currently. The story hasn’t been revealed as yet, though inevitably it will see Fraser’s Rick punching mummies. Fans will also recall that The Mummy Returns marked the big screen debut for The Rock, AKA Dwayne Johnson; the star then fronted his own Scorpion King spinoff in 2002.

The Mummy 4 Could Fix The Franchise’s Biggest Mistake By Pitting Brendan Fraser Against Dwayne Johnson

In total, there were five Scorpion King movies, though Johnson bailed after the first outing. While in the midst of reinventing himself as a more dramatic actor with movies like The Smashing Machine, there are rumors that he might be involved with the next Mummy.

Making Johnson’s Scorpion King the main villain would also fix some issues with his Mummy Returns appearance. Despite being billed as a major villain, Johnson only appears in person during a brief prologue sequence, before he’s turned into an infamously awful-looking CGI monster in the finale.

The Mummy 4 could not only redeem this waste of Johnson in the 2001 sequel, but it could also pair him onscreen with Fraser. The two have become good buddies in real life, but they have yet to share a screen together. By the time Rick battles the Scorpion King, he’s already turned into a digital monstrosity.

Dwayne Johnson’s Mummy 4 Return Could Also Give The Scorpion King An Ending

While fans might think 2008’s The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor was the most recent entry, that’s incorrect. It was actually The Scorpion King: Book of Souls from 2018, the fifth and final entry in the spinoff series.

Not only is it wild that the Scorpion King movies outnumber their parent franchise, but that none of them redeemed the character. By the close of The Mummy Returns, Mathayus was killed by Rick and condemned back to the underworld for his villainous deeds. By necessity, the spinoffs became prequels, charting his course to becoming a tyrant.

Bringing Johnson back as Scorpion King would be a neat way to tie that all off. It could give him a proper role in The Mummy franchise, while serving as a finale to the character’s solo adventure. Sure, the spinoff saga is more obscure, but it obviously had a fanbase if they made so many sequels.

Dwayne Johnson Sounds Open To A Mummy 4 Appearance

Carlos Tischler/EyePix/INSTARimages

When asked about a potential Mummy 4 return by EW in December 2025, Johnson refused to rule anything out. The star is clearly still appreciative of the franchise giving him his start, but it sounds like the chance of working with Brendan Fraser would be the biggest draw.

To be clear, that is Brendan Fraser’s franchise. I love that man. He’s one of my greatest supporters. We support each other. And if they want to call the Scorpion King, I know a guy who knows a guy. I would certainly consider it. Because that franchise changed my life.

Producers would no doubt love to get Johnson on board for at least a cameo, and his stardom would give the project an extra boost. Fans will just have to wait and see how The Mummy 4 takes shape, but regardless of Johnson’s involvement, it’s just nice to have the series up and running again.

Source: EW

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  Created by

  Stephen Sommers, Nina Wilcox Putnam, Richard Schayer

  First Film

  The Mummy (1932)

  Latest Film

  The Mummy

  First TV Show

  The Mummy

  Latest TV Show

  The Mummy

  First Episode Air Date

  
  September 29, 2001
  

  The Mummy franchise is a series of films and media centered around resurrected mummies and the adventurers who combat them. The franchise began with the original The Mummy film in 1932, but it was the 1999 reboot directed by Stephen Sommers that rejuvenated the series, blending action, adventure, and horror with a heavy dose of special effects. This version starred Brendan Fraser as the heroic Rick O’Connell and Arnold Vosloo as the reanimated mummy, Imhotep. The success of the 1999 film spawned two sequels, a spin-off series (The Scorpion King), and a 2017 reboot intended to launch Universal’s Dark Universe, though it failed to ignite the intended franchise.

  
  

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  The Mummy

  Release Date

  April 16, 1999
  

  Runtime

  124 minutes