"Well, if it ain't my little buddy Beni."
The upcoming Mummy sequel from directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett (aka Radio Silence) just added two massive fan favorites to its lineup as Oded Fehr and Kevin J. O’Connor are officially returning.
That means Fehr is gearing up to suit back up as Ardeth Bay, everyone's favorite Medjai chieftain and desert protector.
Meanwhile, O'Connor is returning as Beni Gabor, Rick O'Connell's friend who switches sides and becomes a henchman for Imhotep.
And speaking of Imhotep, we'll have more to report on him, later.
To make things even better, Fehr actually dropped an early preview online, giving fans a quick sneak peek at what Ardeth will look like this time around.
It remains to be seen how Gabor is returning, considering that the character was eaten by flesh-eating scarab beetles in the first film.
This is leading fans to speculate that the film is somehow set during the events of the first film and that the characters will somehow be aged-up or that VFX will be used to de-age the cast.
In addition to the returning veterans, Numan Acar (Young Sherlock) has also joined the cast per Deadline.
There's speculation that he could be portraying the film's villain but fans of the fantasy action series are all but demanding that Arnold Vosloo also return to reprise his role as Imhotep.
And we now have an exciting update on that front, as John Hannah has let slip to an international magazine that Vosloo is in talks to return.
Plot details are being kept under wraps, but previously confirmed cast members include Brendan Fraser as Rick O'Connell, Rachel Weisz as Evelyn "Evie" Carnahan, and Hannah as Jonathan Carnahan.
Obsession breakout star Michael Johnston is also appearing in the film, with franchise fans speculating that he'll be portraying an adult version of Rick and Evie's son, Alex.
Previously, Fraser stated that this fourth installment is the Mummy story he's always wanted to tell, commenting, "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. But the one I wanted to make is forthcoming. And I’ve been waiting 20 years for this call. Sometimes it was loud, sometimes it was a faint telegraph. Now? It’s time to give the fans what they want."
This will be the fourth film in The Rick O'Connell Series of Mummy films, which includes The Mummy (1999), The Mummy Returns (2001), The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008), and the upcoming fourth film, which is currently set for release on October 15, 2027.
This series spawned The Scorpion King spin-off series, which had 1 theatrical release starring wrestler-turned-actor The Rock in 2002. The series would go on to have 4 additional direct-to-video sequels.