Fans of the Mummy franchise have welcomed a candid photo of Brendan Fraser smiling in a scuffed leather jacket. Over on the r/themummy subreddit, many readers compared it favourably with the glossy, AI-style pictures that had been doing the rounds just beforehand.
Those earlier Brendan Fraser Mummy 4 set photos showed him alongside Rachel Weisz, and many fans described them as AI-generated or digitally manipulated. Here's what's confirmed, what remains unconfirmed, and why this sequel has taken so long to reach cameras.
Are the Mummy 4 Photos of Fraser and Weisz Real or AI?
The pictures at the centre of the row show Fraser and Weisz side by side in 1940s-style costume, and fans have labelled them AI-generated or digitally edited. Reported set photos show them photographed separately. Meanwhile, entertainment reports from September say the set photos show the two stars photographed separately, in different places on different days.
First looks pics for Brendan Fraser & Rachel Weisz on the set of The Mummy 4, pic.twitter.com/Zd5g5uEJJ3
— People Of The Internet (@PeopleOfTheInt) September 28, 2026
Weisz was pictured in a brown jacket, yellow polka-dot skirt, and hat, matching reports of her genuine photos near London's British Museum. Fraser was seen racing a vintage rocket car for a 1957 speed-trials sequence in Suffolk. The disputed images instead show him in a brown overcoat and tie, walking beside Weisz.
— • (@mediafilmc) September 29, 2026
Why Did It Take So Long to Make Mummy 4?
According to reported box office figures, the first film took more than $409 million worldwide and its 2001 sequel more than $443 million. Fraser went on to star in a third film in 2008, but Weisz sat it out because of scheduling conflicts.
Universal tried again in 2017 with a Tom Cruise reboot, which Fraser wasn't part of and that failed to connect with audiences. Fraser then spent several years away from major Hollywood roles before winning the Best Actor Oscar for The Whale.
Universal has since moved ahead with a fourth film directed by Radio Silence, with Fraser credited as an executive producer. On a chat show in May, he promised fans he would 'get the band back together.'
FIRST LOOK AT BRENDAN FRASER FILMING FOR THE MUMMY 4! pic.twitter.com/utoYawlQD0
— The Dr. Rachel Weisz daily count bot (@kiana_weisz) September 28, 2026
How Are Fans Reacting to the Real Photo?
On r/themummy subreddit, one fan wrote, 'Why does this bring a single tear to my eye?' Many others simply said he looks happy, and several liked the dirt and grime on his costume, which they felt brought back the lived-in look of the original films.
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by u/Few-Road6238 from discussion
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Many commenters also compared the photo to the disputed images. One said it looked far better than the AI versions, and another said Fraser appeared unwell in them.
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by u/Few-Road6238 from discussion
in themummy
The biggest side debate in the thread was about the title, because the original poster called the film Mummy 3. Some fans see it as the true third chapter and prefer to skip 2008's Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, while others point out that it is technically the fourth film.
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by u/Few-Road6238 from discussion
in themummy
The reasons are easy to follow. Weisz was absent from that film, and Maria Bello took over as Evelyn, a change fans criticised. Commenters also felt the script wasted a solid premise and Jet Li's talents. Universal has not announced an official title for the new film.
When Is the Mummy 4 Release Date?
Universal has reportedly set the release for October 15, 2027, moving it up from May 2028, and filming began in September. Weisz returns alongside John Hannah, Oded Fehr, and Kevin J. O'Connor, and newcomers Michael Johnston and Numan Acar also join the cast. Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett direct a script by David Coggeshall.
No official plot has been revealed. The 2008 film ended with a hint of mummies discovered in Peru, but it's unclear whether the new story follows that thread. Until then, fans are waiting for a genuine Brendan Fraser Mummy 4 set photo of him and Weisz together, the one thing they say would complete their lives.
