Fans of the ‘90s/2000s film series The Mummy were hit with some big news this past week. Not only is a fourth film in the franchise now in the works, but franchise OGs Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz are reportedly in talks to return for it. While a number of fans have taken to social media to express their excitement, it seems not everyone is pleased. Moon Knight director Mohamed Diab weighed in, and he takes issue with the production over the possibility of stereotypes being utilized.
Mohamed Diab – an Egyptian filmmaker with several writing and directing credits under his belt – took to Facebook to share his response to The Mummy 4. On his account, Diab, shared an article featuring the news itself and, based on his response, he’s displeased with the notion of no Egyptian talent seemingly being involved behind the scenes. The Clash writer said this exactly:
How to reboot the franchise with the most stereotypes about Egypt? Easy, make it with no Egyptians involved, again!
The Mummy series has historically relied heavily on Egyptian iconography, particularly when it comes to the first two films in the franchise. Both of those movies were helmed and written by Stephen Sommers, who’s of North American descent. According to reports, the fourth movie will reportedly be directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, who are collectively known as Radio Silence. As of this writing, neither Universal nor the filmmakers have formally acknowledged the legacy sequel or the work that’s being done on it.
Mohamed Diab’s comments seem to echo general comments that have been made by creatives and fans alike in regard to diversity. In recent years, many have been asking for authentic storytelling related to specific cultures. With that, there’s been a call for said stories to actually include the involvement of those who can speak to the cultures and/or experiences being depicted. Some movie and TV productions that utilize such creative forces have been well received.
Upon its debut in 2022, Moon Knight was well received by various fans for its comic book action and depiction of the titular character. At the time, however, it also received praise for depicting Egypt and its culture in a way that avoided certain cultural clichés. The TV show also introduced the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s first Egyptian superhero in Scarlet Scarab. What Diab ultimately did was flesh out various Egyptian locations, showing different sides of them as opposed to just having them serve as backdrops for his lead hero’s exploits.
It’s far from clear what Radio Silence is planning for this next Mummy installment as details are currently being kept under wraps (no pun intended). Also, for clarity, this film isn’t the Mummy reboot that’s being helmed by Lee Cronin and being released amid the 2026 movie schedule. Specifics on that movie are scarce at this point as well, though what is known as that Egyptian talent like May Calamawy and May Elghety are part of the cast.
Ultimately, we’ll just have to wait and see how Universal chooses to proceed with the latest chapter in the Mummy saga. I can imagine fans will have their thoughts on what they’d like to see in regard to action sequences and returning characters. Aside from that, though, I would hope many can agree with and understand the desire for the movie to avoid stereotypical archetypes.