Consider it wiped from the scrolls. The directors of The Mummy 4 have confirmed that the divisive third film — The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008) — will no longer be considered canon in the upcoming sequel. The answer they gave was elegantly brief: “Well, Rachel is in this one.” That’s all fans needed to hear.

🔗 Read the full history of The Mummy film franchise on Wikipedia
The Mummy 4 — Key Details at a Glance
Why Was Tomb of the Dragon Emperor Cut Loose?
What It Means Going Forward
FAQs
Q1. Is The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor still canon in The Mummy 4?
Q2. When is The Mummy 4 releasing and who is directing it?

The Mummy 4 — Key Details at a Glance

Detail	Info
Title	The Mummy 4 (untitled)
Release Date	May 19, 2028
Studio	Universal Pictures
Directors	Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett (Radio Silence)
Screenplay	David Coggeshall
Returning Cast	Brendan Fraser (Rick O’Connell), Rachel Weisz (Evelyn)
Is Tomb of the Dragon Emperor canon?	❌ No — officially de-canonised
Tomb of the Dragon Emperor RT Score	13% (critically panned)
Previous Franchise Films	The Mummy (1999), The Mummy Returns (2001), Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008)

Why Was Tomb of the Dragon Emperor Cut Loose?

The third film always sat awkwardly in franchise history. When it came time to make it, Rachel Weisz declined to return as Evelyn O’Connell — reasons still unconfirmed — and Maria Bello stepped in as a recast replacement. The story moved from Egypt to China, tied to corporate synergy around the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Even Brendan Fraser later acknowledged it wasn’t the film he’d envisioned.

Fraser told the AP: “The one I wanted to make was never made. NBC had the rights to broadcast the Olympics that year, so they put two together and we went to China.” Despite his pride in the cast’s effort, he added that the film he truly wanted to make was “forthcoming.”

Now that Radio Silence — the directors behind Scream (2022), Scream VI, and Abigail — are at the helm, and both Fraser and Weisz are back together, the simplest solution is also the most satisfying: treat Tomb of the Dragon Emperor as if it never happened and pick up from The Mummy Returns.

This isn’t unprecedented in Hollywood. The 2018 Halloween ignored decades of sequels to continue directly from the 1978 original. Superman Returns skipped Superman III and IV entirely. The Mummy 4 is following a well-worn path.

What It Means Going Forward

With the third film out of continuity, the story of Alex O’Connell — last seen as a child in The Mummy Returns — is wide open. In Tomb, he was an adult played by Luke Ford. Now? Filmmakers can reintroduce him any age, any way they like. The script by David Coggeshall is already approved by both Fraser and Weisz, and Radio Silence promise it has “all the heart and character you could hope for.”

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FAQs

**Q1. Is The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor still canon in The Mummy 4?**

No — directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett (Radio Silence) confirmed the 2008 third film is no longer canon. With Rachel Weisz returning as Evelyn, the new sequel effectively picks up from The Mummy Returns (2001) and ignores the events of the third film entirely.

**Q2. When is The Mummy 4 releasing and who is directing it?**

The Mummy 4 is set for release on May 19, 2028 via Universal Pictures. It is directed by Radio Silence (Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett), written by David Coggeshall, and stars both Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz reprising their iconic roles.