The Mummy 4: Who's Confirmed and What's Still Rumor

Written by Adriano Ladislau in Movies

Published on November 13, 2026 14:25 UTC · Updated on November 13, 2026 17:41 UTC

Arnold Vosloo confirms Imhotep's return in The Mummy: Book of the Dead. See who is officially in the cast, who remains unannounced and the key dates.

Actor Arnold Vosloo has confirmed he will return as Imhotep in The Mummy: Book of the Dead, the fourth film in the franchise that began in 1999. He made the announcement on Jack Carr's Danger Close podcast, ending months of silence about the villain's fate. Production is under way in London with Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz back as Rick and Evelyn O'Connell, and Universal Pictures has set the release for October 15, 2027.

The confirmation is the most concrete piece of information in a season of fragmented announcements: part of the cast came through studio statements and trade reports, part came straight from the actors themselves, and part remains pure fan expectation. The result is a list that mixes certainties, hints and rumours — and this guide separates them item by item, based on what had actually been stated as of November 13, 2026.

Imhotep is back — and the actor himself is confirming it

Vosloo appeared on the podcast to promote his work in The Terminal List, the Prime Video series in which he plays Rich, Raife Hastings's uncle. Midway through the conversation, he went straight to the point about the franchise that made him famous: he said he had signed his deal, that Fraser's team was already shooting in London, and that his character was coming back. The remarks, published on November 11, were picked up by outlets including Collider, JoBlo, MovieWeb and Fangoria.

"I can report now… I just signed my deal. We are doing another Mummy. Brendan and them are shooting now in London. And the character Imhotep is back, that I play. I'll be going there in November. The first time I've admitted… I'm back in the next Mummy. Imhotep is back. Somebody wakes me up… they read from the Book of the Dead… and there we are."

The actor also explained how the production plans to handle the passage of time. According to him, the studio will use digital de-aging technology so that Imhotep looks the way he did in the first film. "They're gonna make me look like I did when I was 38 years old, when I made the first one," he said. The remark suggests the character will not be treated as an older version, but as the same resurrected creature the franchise introduced in the late 1990s.

The resurrection, in fact, is what the film's own title gives away. In the first The Mummy, Evelyn reads a page from the Book of the Dead in Hamunaptra and accidentally awakens Imhotep. Vosloo's account indicates the script repeats the gesture: someone opens the book, reads it aloud and brings the high priest back. It is the first concrete plot hint for a project that had kept its synopsis under wraps until now.

Who is confirmed in the cast

There is no complete official cast list published by Universal with every role so far. The table below gathers only names that have received public confirmation — through a studio statement, a trade report or the performer's own words. The status column distinguishes how solid each piece of information is.

The newcomers and the roles kept secret

Michael Johnston, seen in the series Obsession, was the first new name attached to the project, in talks in July 2026 and confirmed the following month. Numan Acar, a German actor of Turkish descent with a background in action productions, and Tara Emad, an Egyptian actress, complete the group of newcomers. None of the three has had a character revealed. The information gap has opened room for theories ranging from a young member of the O'Connell family to a secondary antagonist — all of them unconfirmed.

The Beni Gabor problem

Kevin J. O'Connor is back as Beni, the cowardly guide who ends the 1999 film being devoured by scarabs. The contradiction is official and has never been publicly explained. The most likely explanations are a flashback, a vision or some form of supernatural return, but none has been confirmed by the production. It is one of the points where the line between fact and speculation is hardest to see.

Who has not been announced — and what is pure speculation

The most delicate part of the coverage is the difference between "not announced" and "not in the film". A lack of confirmation does not mean absence. Below are the names circulating on social media without any official announcement.

Patricia Velásquez and Anck-Su-Namun

Patricia Velásquez played Anck-Su-Namun, Imhotep's love interest, in the first two films. As of November 13, 2026, no trade outlet, studio statement or remark from the actress has confirmed her involvement in Book of the Dead. Nor is there any indication that she has been ruled out. The character died twice in the franchise — first by her own hand, then from scorpion stings — which makes a return possible but not automatic. If Imhotep is back, narrative logic favours Anck-Su-Namun's reappearance, but narrative logic is not confirmation.

Alex O'Connell and the age question

Alex, Rick and Evelyn's son, was played by Freddie Boath in The Mummy Returns and by Luke Ford in The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. Because the new film ignores the third movie, the natural path would be to bring back Boath's version, now an adult. Neither actor has been announced. Michael Johnston's undisclosed role is precisely what fuels the theory that he might be an adult Alex — a hypothesis repeated in forums with no official source behind it.

Dwayne Johnson and the Scorpion King

Dwayne Johnson made his film debut as the Scorpion King in The Mummy Returns and later headlined the 2002 spin-off. There is no announcement, reported negotiation or comment from the actor about appearing in the new film. Any mention of him at this point is pure speculation.

What the production has revealed about the story

The film is directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, the duo known as Radio Silence, behind Ready or Not, Scream (2022), Scream VI and Abigail. The script is by David Coggeshall, of Orphan: First Kill and The Family Plan. Universal Pictures produces with Radio Silence Productions, Project X Entertainment and Hivemind, and the producers include Sean Daniel, who worked on the original films.

The timeline is another certainty: the story begins after The Mummy Returns (2001) and discards The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008), while also ignoring the Tom Cruise reboot from 2017. Set photos taken in London show Fraser and Weisz in period costumes, and behind-the-scenes records point to a speed-trial sequence set in 1957 — which would place the plot roughly 24 years after the events of the second film.

Filming began on September 7, 2026, at Sky Studios in London. The production also moved through Suffolk in eastern England and through Morocco, with shoots logged in Tangier and in the desert region of Erfoud and Merzouga. Weisz was photographed performing a stunt in the British capital, hanging from a rope on a building facade — a sign that Evelyn will have a physically demanding part rather than a supporting role.

Dates: why the release moved

The film's calendar went through a significant pull-forward. Universal had reserved May 19, 2028, a date that still appears in some coverage and outdated listings. In October 2026, the studio confirmed October 15, 2027 — roughly seven months earlier than planned. The change was widely reported by the trade press, including Deadline.

What to watch before release

With the main cast essentially locked, three gaps remain capable of changing the debate. The first is Universal's official confirmation of every role — including Vosloo's, since so far he has spoken for himself. The second is the first trailer, which should clarify how Beni comes back and what tone Radio Silence has chosen, a duo associated with horror now handling an action adventure. The third is a possible late addition of Patricia Velásquez, the only member of the original core who remains without any announcement.

In the meantime, Imhotep's return works as a gauge for the project. The franchise has always depended on the balance between scares, humour and adventure romance, and Vosloo's presence puts back on the board the villain who defined the visual identity of the first two films. For fans following the production since the announcement, the difference between what is official and what is collective wishful thinking remains the most valuable information — and it lives in statements, not in viral lists.

Further details about the production and the cast are expected throughout 2027 as the film moves into post-production. Revista Pixel's film coverage tracks the next announcements, and the franchise's history can be revisited in the pop culture section.

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