The internet is really, REALLY upset that Brendan Fraser isn’t in “The Mummy” anymore — here’s how they’re fighting back
In today’s edition of “the internet being the internet,” some folks are really mad at the new Mummy for starring Tom Cruise instead of Brendan Fraser. Despite Cruise’s seemingly natural onscreen charisma and history of leading successful action franchises, the internet insists that Fraser — star of the ’99 film The Mummy, its 2001 sequel, The Mummy Returns, and the ’08 threequel The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor — is the only man in Hollywood qualified to take on ancient Egyptian evil.
And since injustices of this magnitude shall not be tolerated, the internet is fighting back.
It all started when the trailer for Cruise’s Mummy — which takes place at a much later time than Fraser’s, and therefore finds Cruise playing a totally different character — was released on December 5th. Fans began to tweet sentiments like “The Mummy is not THE mummy without Brendan Fraser #NotMyMummy,” leading to #NotMyMummy trending on the social networking site.
At this, fans began to discuss Fraser’s noticeably stalled career — a conversation also largely influenced by an article questioning “why Hollywood won’t cast Brendan Fraser anymore,” which is still making the rounds on social media. Though he’s recurring on the third season of Showtime’s critically acclaimed The Affair, he hasn’t made waves at the box office since 2008, when he starred in the critically panned Mummy threequeel and Journey to the Center of the Earth, alongside Josh Hutcherson.
One fan began a Change.org petition to “Bring Brendan Fraser back into film/television,” in which said fan (and 27,916 others, as of press time) petitions Netflix, HBO, Starz, Showtime, and Netflix CEO Reed Hastings to “please consider Brendan for any upcoming shows/movies that are planned … Please help us get Brendan back on his feet again, we miss him.”
"Brendan is a much loved actor worldwide, people are shocked that he wasn't at least offered a smaller role in the new Mummy movie," it reads. "Brendan has been in multiple interviews recently and has appeared to be very down and out, and us loyal fans feel like we are obliged to help him in any way possible."
There’s also a “SAVEBRENDAN” subreddit, in which fans share news as well as ideas on how to get him back in the spotlight. (“If y’all want to improve his visibility, you should make funny reaction gifs involving him and share em on gif subreddits” is currently top of the page.)
Meanwhile, over on Imgur, fans have been up-voting photos of Fraser to the top of the site’s front page.
And of course, Fraser’s Wikipedia is being edited regularly.
No one knows what — if any — effect all of this might have on Fraser’s career. But since news of his growing, nostalgic fandom is already going viral, sharing one’s love for the erstwhile George of the Jungle star can’t exactly hurt. Who knows — maybe they’ll put him in a Star War?!
