A big part of The Mummy series that audiences tend to overlook is how the villains aren't necessarily the baddies in the narrative. Anck-Su-Namun (Patricia Velasquez) and Imhotep (Arnold Vosloo) get a bad rap, though only because of the circumstances surrounding their union. But what if the pair had a chance at a happy ending?
To recap, Anck-Su-Namun was a concubine to Seti I. She was devoted to her husband and ruler until crossing paths with Imhotep. Their instant passion for each other motivated them to break the sacred rule of touching. The pharaoh went to great lengths to ensure no one did, going as far as to coat his concubine in gold and black paint. Anyone touching Anck-Su-Namun would leave a fingerprint, confirming the betrayal. The paint eliminated any chances of infidelity.
No one dared to insult the pharaoh in that way, all except Imhotep. He allowed his desire for Anck-Su-Namun to blind him, gripping her arm sensually during a momentary exchange. Pharoah Seti walked in on the scene, inadvertently exposing the affair.
With an inevitable execution looming, the pair had to act, cutting Seti down without restraint. His death forced Anck-Su-Namun to sacrifice herself and Imhotep to go on the run. Their love story then went through some critical ups and downs; playing out in The Mummy and The Mummy Returns.
Villains Or Not, They Just Wanted To Be Together
At the end of the day, the big acts point to Imhotep and Anck-Su-Namun being antagonists. Their mission for world domination could've halted at any point, except they persisted. Even when Imhotep attempts to resurrect his beloved, he doesn't need to kill so many innocents, but he does. The American adventurers were a bit of collateral damage necessary for Imhotep to revive himself, although every other casualty was avoidable. And while all that paints a picture of villains obsessed with a desire for authority, their backstory still says they were an older version of Romeo and Juliet.
Before the star-crossed lovers got a taste for murder, all they wanted was to be together. The problem was they couldn't have their happily ever after because of Anck's duty to her husband. Divorce wasn't a thing back then, either. Anck-Su-Namun couldn't just dump the pharaoh for one of his high priests. It simply couldn't be. Any rebuttal or show of defiance from the pharaoh's concubine would've been met with swift punishment. And a priest daring to speak up to his ruler was unheard of.
Future Plans
While audiences know that their story ends tragically, now's the right time to give their tale a soft reboot. Fans have been asking for Universal Pictures to resurrect the 90s Mummy franchise—maybe rewriting their tale to have Anck-Su-Namun and Imhotep successfully escape Egypt is the key. The pair on the run, struggling to find a home, would make for an entertaining premise. Plus, the studio can make the sidequel canon by simply having the royal guard capture Imhotep and Anck-Su-Namun at the end, ensuring they play their roles in history as intended.
Should Universal Pictures develop a spinoff to The Mummy starring Arnold Vosloo and Patricia Velasquez?