Oded Fehr Shares On-Set First Look as Ardeth Bay Returns in Universal’s Mummy Sequel

Universal’s long-gestating return to Brendan Fraser’s The Mummy universe got a tangible cast proof point on September 14, 2026, when Oded Fehr shared a first look at his return as Ardeth Bay—the Medjai leader who fought beside Rick and Evelyn O’Connell in the 1999 and 2001 films—Collider reported. Fehr’s social video opens with classic Ardeth footage before cutting to a present-day on-set shot of the actor in character makeup, short hair, beard, and the signature facial tattoos fans associate with the role.

The reveal matters because the sequel’s publicity has so far leaned on nostalgia promises more than production stills. Collider confirmed that Fehr joins a returning core that already includes Fraser as Rick O’Connell, Rachel Weisz as Evelyn, and John Hannah as Jonathan Carnahan. Radio Silence filmmakers Matt Bettinelli-Olpin (Ready or Not) and Tyler Gillett (Scream) are directing from a screenplay by David Coggeshall (Orphan: First Kill). Plot details remain under wraps; Collider’s report sticks to cast, creative team, and a theatrical date of October 15, 2027.

That schedule lines up with earlier production signals. Digital Spy reported in early September that Fraser told Canal+ at France’s Deauville American Film Festival he was due “at work on Monday morning,” describing the project as “like seeing an old friend again” while acknowledging he would lean on the stunt team for heavier action. Digital Spy also noted Hannah’s praise for the script after reading it, and listed Kevin J. O’Connor among returning faces as Beni Gabor—useful context for fans tracking how complete the original ensemble will be. Fehr had previously stayed away from 2008’s The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor; his willingness to return has fueled fan speculation that Imhotep’s mythology may again be central, though neither Collider nor Digital Spy presents that as confirmed.

Franchise history explains why a makeup-chair still travels so far. The 1999 film grossed more than $400 million worldwide and defined a jokey adventure tone that Universal tried to reboot with Tom Cruise in 2017 before circling back to Fraser’s incarnation. Bringing Weisz back—she sat out the 2008 China-set entry, where Maria Bello played Evelyn—signals a deliberate reunion pitch rather than a soft reboot. For Hollywood business desks, the movie sits in Universal’s 2027 event calendar as a nostalgia tentpole with modern horror-adjacent directors, a combination studios have used to refresh IP without abandoning brand recognition.

iShook Daily’s Hollywood coverage this Emmy week has focused on awards-night records elsewhere; The Mummy sequel is a different lane—cameras rolling, cast receipts, and a dated release. Until Universal releases an official trailer or synopsis, the verified public facts are the ones Collider and Digital Spy put on the record: Fehr is back on camera as Ardeth Bay, the O’Connell family principals are returning, Radio Silence is directing, and theaters are marked for mid-October 2027.

Casting completeness still has soft edges. Digital Spy’s Hannah interview listed Kevin J. O’Connor among returning faces, while Collider’s September still focused on Fehr’s proof-of-life video; readers should treat each outlet’s cast list as attributed rather than assume a single studio press kit has closed every role. What does not need speculation is the commercial logic: Universal is selling reunion energy with directors who made their names on elevated genre, aiming at an October 2027 corridor that already rewards event nostalgia. Fehr’s makeup-chair clip is a small artifact with a large job—showing that the Medjai are not merely rumored, but already in the chair.

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