In The Mummy threequel, Rachel Weisz was replaced by Maria Bello. Now, as the former is making a comeback in the fourth instalment, fans asked a genuine question: is the dead Chinese emperor and his terracotta army still part of the canon?

To this, directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett hinted that it is now not. “Well, Rachel is in this one. That should answer the question for you.”

Elsewhere in the interview with EW, the duo recalled how they landed the job of directing The Mummy 4.

Crediting William Sherrick, a producer with whom they worked on several projects, told them about the project.

Gillet and Bettinelli recalled their initial reaction to the offer, saying, “That’d be f***** crazy. There’s no way William’s going to pull it off.”

However, as things turned out, the duo got the opportunity to direct The Mummy 4. 

“Cut to, we’re finishing ‘Abigail’, and we’re meeting with Dave Coggeshall, the writer, and we’re designing a pitch,” Gillett said.

However, he also pointed out that he and his co-director have been working too long in the industry to know about how volatile things are in the field. 

“We have been in this line of work long enough to know that nothing is real until it’s very, very real. It’s all speculative, and it feels great to give energy to really wonderful ideas.”

So, if the project did not get the complete green light, Gillet said, they treated them with caution.

“But we have learnt to keep those opportunities a little bit at arm’s distance because it’s just easy to have your heart broken.”

The Mummy 4 debuts in theatres on May 19, 2028.