Brendan Fraser is officially saddling back up as Rick O’Connell — but after nearly two decades away from battling ancient curses and mummified villains, the actor admits getting back into action-hero shape is proving to be a challenge.

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The 57-year-old confirmed his return for The Mummy 4 during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, finally giving fans the update they’ve been waiting years to hear.

And while Fraser stopped short of revealing major plot details, he made it clear the long-awaited sequel is very much happening.

“Well, we’re gonna get the band back together,” he said. “The only way to do it. So, we are going to give the audience what they have been bothering all of us for, for the last twenty-whatever years.”

Fraser originally starred as adventurer Rick O’Connell in 1999’s The Mummy before returning for The Mummy Returns in 2001 and 2008’s The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor.

Over the years, the franchise developed a huge cult following, with many fans still viewing the original films as defining action-adventure movies of the early 2000s. But despite constant rumours and years of fan demand, Fraser admitted there was a point where he thought another sequel simply wasn’t going to happen.

“I was hopeful for a long while, and then I was like, ‘I don’t know if they are.’ Then other Mummy movies got made,” he explained.

That uncertainty appears to be gone now though, with Universal officially moving forward on the fourth instalment. Fraser hinted the film will revisit some familiar territory from the original trilogy, although he quickly caught himself before revealing too much.

“But listen, what we’re gonna do is saddle back up, go back to the locations — I should probably stop talking like this, because I don’t want to give everything away,” he said.

Still, there was one thing he did want from fans ahead of production.

“However, please wish me luck. I’m doing my best to get this 57-year-old gear in shape,” he revealed.

The announcement has already sent longtime fans of the franchise into meltdown online, particularly after confirmation that Rachel Weisz is also expected to return alongside Fraser. John Hannah, who played Jonathan Carnahan in the original films, has also reportedly been confirmed for the sequel.

“We’re going to get the band back together. The only way to do it, right?” Fraser said elsewhere during the interview. “So, we’re going to give the audience what they have been bothering us all for, for the last 20-whatever years.”

The original Mummy trilogy became one of Universal’s biggest action franchises thanks to its blend of horror, comedy and blockbuster adventure, with Fraser’s version of Rick O’Connell becoming an iconic movie character for an entire generation.

The series eventually stalled following 2008’s Tomb of the Dragon Emperor after weaker box office returns and mixed critical reception.

Universal later attempted to reboot the franchise with Tom Cruise’s 2017 version of The Mummy as part of the studio’s planned “Dark Universe”, although the project failed to launch the wider cinematic universe that had been planned. (I mean, it could have been that nobody wanted to see Tom Cruise in a Mummy movie?)

Now though, Fraser’s return appears to be exactly what audiences wanted all along.

According to reports, the new movie is being directed by Radio Silence from a script by David Coggeshall.

The sequel is currently scheduled for release in either late 2027 or 2028 depending on Universal’s final calendar plans.

Of course, this is just the latest in the resurgence of Fraser, who notably won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Darren Aronofsky’s 2022 film, The Whale.

And given just how much audiences around the world adore him, we’ll take him just the way he is – he’ll always be our Rick O’Connell.

Featured image credit: YouTube/The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (screenshots)