In an alternate universe, the 1999 blockbuster The Mummy would have been fronted by Tom Cruise instead of Brendan Fraser - just how different would it have been? Cruise has become so closely linked with action movies and performing outrageous stunts, it's easy to forget he once jumped around many different genres. From Oscar-winning dramas (Rain Man) to harrowing biopics (Born On The Fourth Of July) or legal thrillers (The Firm), the actor packed a lot of variety into his filmography. Arguably the film that changed the course of Tom Cruise's career was 2000's Mission: Impossible II, which marked his transformation into a full-fledged action star.
A sliding doors moment for the actor was 1999's The Mummy, where he was approached to play dashing hero Rick O'Connell. It would have been fascinating to see Cruise step into an Indiana Jones-inspired hero, but his all-consuming schedule on Eyes Wide Shut - which began filming in November 1996 and wrapped in June 1998 - prevented him from taking the film. Brendan Fraser eventually landed the role, with The Mummy becoming a surprise smash that led to two sequels and a spinoff saga with The Scorpion King films. It's difficult to picture another actor playing Rick now, but had Cruise accepted the first Mummy movie it would have changed it in some intriguing ways.
Tom Cruise & Many Other A-Listers Rejected The Mummy
Fraser's star was rising at the time - especially due to the success of George Of The Jungle - but he wasn't a major star either. He was far from the first name on Universal's wishlist either, with Cruise being at the very top. Once he passed on the project, The Mummy was offered to other notable leading men of the era. This includes Brad Pitt, who at the time was coming off the back of films like The Devil's Own and Meet Joe Black. Curiously, Pitt hadn't really made a pure action-adventure style film when approached about The Mummy, but his commitment to David Fincher's Fight Club likely ruled him out.
The Mummy - whose villain Imhotep was based on a real figure - was also offered to Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, both of whom were riding the success of Good Will Hunting. Both performers were hugely in demand during this period, reuniting on the likes of Dogma while branching off on their own, with Affleck making Armageddon while Damon went on to Saving Private Ryan and Rounders. Of the two, it's easier to picture Affleck taking on a square-jawed action role - but he still hadn't fully developed his chops as a leading man either. Damon would unknowingly help reshape action cinema years later with The Bourne Identity. Matthew McConaughey was also briefly considered for the part.
How The Mummy Would Be A Different Movie With Tom Cruise In The Lead
In all likelihood, Cruise probably wouldn't have been interested in a project like The Mummy at that stage in his career. He was working with auteurs such as Brian De Palma, Stanley Kubrick and Paul Thomas Anderson, and The Mummy didn't really fit that criterion. That said, had he been available and interested, the blockbuster would have changed in some fundemental ways. In fact, comparing The Mummy - which aged better than its sequels - to Cruise's starring role in the 2017 reboot offers up a unique comparison. In that Dark Universe non-starter, Cruise was very much playing against type as an opportunistic, irreverent explorer whose greed gets him in trouble.
Despite Cruise having a well-proven background in both action and comedy (Tropic Thunder), that type of role didn't suit him either. Whereas Fraser was able to play both the humor and action of The Mummy effortlessly, Cruise felt miscast in such a character. Perhaps he may have played O'Connell a little straighter in '99's The Mummy, taking the horror and apocalyptic stakes a little more seriously. Another important element of The Mummy is that Fraser feels like part of an ensemble alongside Rachel Weisz, John Hannah and Oded Fehr. Had Cruise taken the lead his stardom would likely have taken precedent, as seen in the first few Mission: Impossible films.
The Mummy Could Only Have Worked With Brendan Fraser
Rick O'Connell may not be an iconic character on the same pedestal as Harrison Ford's Indy, but just like it's hard to see original choice Tom Selleck as the latter now, the same goes for Cruise. He just wasn't suited for The Mummy '99, but Fraser had it all. He had the movie star looks, combined with a talent for verbal and physical comedy. He was just as convincing dual-wielding revolvers or sword fighting against CGI mummies as he was Rick's one-liners. More importantly, he understood the movie serial tone of The Mummy and played the part with that in mind.
Fraser reprised the role for The Mummy Returns - which had infamously poor CGI for the Scorpion King - and Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor, though neither came close to recapturing the lightning in a bottle of the original. Even so, the actor was easily the highlight of both. This is even more impressive in the case of The Mummy 3, where he completely commits to the demands of the part once more - despite the fact he later admitted to being in physical agony from various injuries while filming. With the actor tipped for a comeback following the acclaim earned by The Whale, calls for The Mummy 4 have started to grow.
Time will tell if Fraser ever saddles up as O'Connell again, but it's a certainty viewers wouldn't see Cruise reprise his role for a Dark Universe Mummy sequel. Mission: Impossible was a far better showcase for Cruise's talent than The Mummy '99 ever would have been. The film would still have been a success based on his star power, but it's possible the blockbuster would be so fondly remembered either. Fraser's charm and the oddly sweet romance between his and Weisz's characters added a lot to The Mummy, and that's what made it endure over the years. 2017's The Mummy just proved the producers made the right choice years before.