2021 seems to be the year that the world, or at least the internet, remembered that they loved Brendan Fraser. The man has had a significant career resurgence recently and there are clearly a lot of people happy to see it. Those fans might be unhappy by some recent Brenden Fraser news, however, as it’s possible an upcoming update to the Revenge of the Mummy coaster at Universal Orlando Resort might remove the actor’s appearance .
The popular roller coaster at Universal Studios Florida, is set to close down for refurbishment next month, and while the expectation had been that the ride would just be going through some fairly standard maintenance, Orlando Park Stop is reporting there could be more significant changes made. Specifically, the removal of the “movie set” elements from the queue. If that is done, then it would likely mean removing the video screens that include sequences with Brendan Fraser, who plays himself on the set of a fictitious brand new Mummy movie as part of the ride. He’s also seen at the beginning and end of the ride, attempting to acquire a cup of coffee from an intern.
The issue seems to be largely with the queue, which doesn’t have the capacity it once did due to the Mummy tribute store. This has resulted in the ride using a virtual queue during busy periods because the physical queue simply can’t handle the demand. But by removing the film set elements of the queue, which are frequently overlooked by guests anyway, that capacity can be increased. But if that happens the rest of the film set and interview elements of the ride would likely also go away, as they'd make no sense without that context.
The Brendan Fraser sequences are popular among frequent Universal Orlando Resort guests. They’re a bit over the top and hilarious, especially at the end where Brendan Fraser gets unreasonably upset about the fact that he doesn’t have his cup of coffee.
There are certainly some reasons to potentially consider updating the ride’s story. The video component is shown in standard definition video, and so it shows the age of the attraction, which opened in 2004, probably more than anything. That and the fact that the Brendan Fraser Mummy franchise hasn’t seen a new entry since 2008.
In the grand scheme of things the loss of the Brendan Fraser elements aren’t the end of the world. Most riders won’t notice the difference, and the ride itself is still a great ride. At the same time, when Brendan Fraser’s profile is perhaps higher than it has been since the Mummy movies, it feels like an odd decision to take him out now.
Fans who love the ride and Brendan Fraser’s part in it will certainly miss it if it is taken out. They’ll still enjoy the ride, but they would enjoy it more if they had gotten their cup of coffee!
