Universal instead rebooted the franchise in 2017 with Tom Cruise in The Mummy (part of the failed "Dark Universe"). That film bombed so hard it killed the shared universe before it began.
While the film succeeded in expanding the series' lore, it remains one of the most debated entries in the trilogy, sparking conversations about casting changes, tonal shifts, and the challenge of capturing lightning in a bottle for a third time. A New Frontier: From Egypt to China The Mummy- Tomb of the Dragon Emperor
The film opens not in Egypt, but in ancient China (circa 50 B.C.). We are introduced to Emperor Han (Jet Li), a ruthless warlord who has conquered neighboring kingdoms and desires eternal rule. He orders a double-whammy of magical villainy: first, he commands the witch Zi Yuan (Michelle Yeoh) to give him the gift of immortality; second, he plans to use that immortality to conquer the world. Universal instead rebooted the franchise in 2017 with
Unless you want to see Jet Li fight a three-headed dragon while Yetis throw snowballs at mummies, avoid this tomb at all costs. It’s not a resurrection—it’s a desecration. A New Frontier: From Egypt to China The
The story moves the action to 1946, several years after the events of The Mummy Returns . Rick O’Connell is now retired and bored, longing for the adrenaline of his youth. The narrative thrust centers on the discovery of the Terracotta Army and the titular Dragon Emperor, Emperor Han (played by Jet Li). Unlike Imhotep, who was cursed for his love, Han was cursed for his lust for power. The script, penned by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, rooted the villainy in Chinese mythology, involving a curse cast by a witch (Michelle Yeoh) that turned the Emperor and his army into clay statues.
Lin brings her mother, the still-immortal Zi Yuan, to help. Zi Yuan tells them that the only way to kill the Emperor is with a special cursed dagger, which can be created by the spirits at the Great Wall. Act III: Battle at the Great Wall