Brendan Fraser is ready for his next expedition in the fourth installment of The Mummy franchise. "I've been waiting 20 years for this call," Fraser, 56, said in an interview with the Associated Press on Wednesday, November 19, confirming his return to The Mummy. "Sometimes it was loud, sometimes it was a faint telegraph. Now? It's time to give the fans what they want." Fraser, who starred as Rick O'Connell in the action franchise, shared that there was a specific story he wanted to tell that was "never made." Fraser explained that the third movie, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, came to life because the 2008 Olympics were being hosted in Beijing, which is the same year the movie came out. "NBC had the rights to broadcast the Olympics that year. So they put two together and we went to China. Working in Shanghai, an incredible experience," he told the outlet. "I'm proud of the third one because I think it's a good standalone movie. We picked up and did what we do with a different crew on deck and gave it our best shot." Brendan Fraser and Girlfriend Jeanne Moore's Relationship Timeline While the idea Fraser preferred didn't come to light that year, the Oscar winner teased that the one he "wanted to make is forthcoming." Earlier this month, multiple outlets reported that The Mummy 4 was in the works with Fraser reprising his role. Rachel Weisz was reported to return as well. Weisz played British Egyptologist Evelyn Carnahan in the first and second films. She did not return for the third film and her character was recast and played by Maria Bello. Universal/courtesy Everett Collection Many fans took to social media to share their excitement after learning that Fraser and Weisz would be returning to The Mummy. "Wow it's actually happening. Definitely love seeing Fraser re-enter the blockbuster space amidst his renaissance," one user wrote. "I'm seated. The theater employees are scared and asking me to leave because it 'hasn't even started filming yet' but I'm simply too seated." Blast From the Past! Alicia Silverstone, Brendan Fraser Reunited After Oscars The Mummy was a breakout role for Fraser and cemented him as an action movie star. Despite having a successful movie career, Fraser took a step back from Hollywood in the late 2000s to the 2010s. He made his triumphant return to the big screen in Steven Soderbergh's No Sudden Move and Darren Aronofsky's The Whale, which premiered in 2021 and 2022, respectively. Fraser earned his first Academy Award for his performance in The Whale. In 2017, The Mummy was rebooted with Tom Cruise starring in the project. The film was a box office bomb and plans for more movies were subsequently canceled. Fraser later shared his thoughts on why a new version of The Mummy didn't perform. "It is hard to make that movie," Fraser said in a 2022 interview with Variety. "The ingredient that we had going for our Mummy, which I didn't see in the new one, was fun. That was what was lacking in that incarnation. It was too much of a straight-ahead horror movie. The Mummy should be a thrill ride, but not terrifying and scary."