Summary

Fraser's Journey to the Center of the Earth role had similar charisma to The Mummy, combining action and comedy perfectly.
Journey's global success was promising, though it couldn't match The Mummy's massive box office numbers.
Johnson replaced Fraser in the sequel due to director changes, shifting Fraser's career trajectory in Hollywood.

It looked as if The Mummy, but Dwayne Johnson took it over instead. Fraser's The Mummy role was among his most iconic, with all three films (yes, even the third) performing well at the global box office. After so much success, it only made sense that the actor would step into an action franchise of a similar flavor, and it certainly looked as if Journey to the Center of the Earth would work nicely. Unfortunately, it didn't shake out that way.

While 1999 The Mummy movie didn't make a killing at the global box office (earning $156 million), the film was still a critical hit and a cultural phenomenon. Fraser, whose filmography contained predominantly comedies at the time, was the perfect action hero, and audiences were begging for more. By the release of The Mummy Returns in 2001, global fans were eager and ready to buy tickets, and the film managed an impressive $433 million. After 2008's The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, it was clear that the franchise was winding down. However, that same year, Fraser was ready with a replacement.

A split screen of Brendan Fraser in The Whale and The Mummy.

14 Best Brendan Fraser Movies Ranked

Brendan Fraser was everywhere in the nineties. Though he may not still be a leading man, the Hollywood actor has some impressive films on his resume.

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Journey To The Center Of The Earth Could've Been Brendan Fraser's The Mummy Replacement

Fraser's Journey To The Center Of The Earth Had A Similar Feel To The Mummy

Journey to the Center of the Earth movie poster

Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008) was aimed at a younger audience than The Mummy, but it still had that exciting, slightly campy feel. The film, which starred Fraser as Professor Trevor Anderson, had a similar method of combining action with comedy, and the actor's character was just as charming as The Mummy's Rick O'Connell. Of course, as an adventurer and intellectual, Professor Andersen was almost a mix of Fraser's Rick and Rachel Weisz's Evelyn. Journey to the Center of the Earth had terrifying monsters, unbelievable sights, and daring adventures—all the elements of a good The Mummy replacement.

Journey to the Center of the Earth also had an added edge over The Mummy since the film was based on the classic book of the same name by Jules Verne. The novel was first published in 1864, and though it didn't have any direct sequels, Verne wrote several books of a similar flavor. Five Weeks in a Balloon, The Mysterious Island, From Earth to the Moon, and more could all be adapted as continuations, which meant Fraser's Journey series could've had even more lasting power than The Mummy.

There have been several Journey to the Center of the Earth screen adaptations, including one from 1959.

Journey To The Center Of The Earth Was A Box Office Success - But Couldn't Beat The Mummy

The First Journey To The Center Of The Earth Movie Was Still A Promising Start

Not only did Journey to the Center of the Earth effectively continue Fraser's career in action, but it performed reasonably well at the box office. The $244 million global gross was no slouch and was considerably more than the first The Mummy movie brought in a decade earlier. Of course, Journey didn't quite compare to Fraser's The Mummy sequels, which made a combined $835 million globally. Still, it was a great start, and with such an exceptional profit, there was every reason to believe that future sequels would perform even better.

It was a great start, and with such an exceptional profit, there was every reason to believe that future sequels would perform even better.

A Journey to the Center of the Earth sequel was confirmed shortly after the first movie was released, and the film finally became a reality in 2012. Journey 2: The Mysterious Island was based on another of Verne's books and saw the return of Josh Hutcherson, who played Fraser's nephew, Sean. Unfortunately, Fraser himself did not return since Dwayne Johnson came in to play the lead instead.

Why Did Dwayne Johnson Replace Brendan Fraser For Journey To The Center Of The Earth 2?

Dwayne Johnson Took Over Journey 2: The Mysterious Island

The rock journey to the center of the earth Brendan Fraser

There haven't been any definitive answers given about why Journey to the Center of the Earth sequel instead of Fraser. The most common report indicates that the The Mummy star was only interested in returning if Eric Brevig returned to direct. Unfortunately, Brevig was too busy working on Yogi Bear, and Brad Peyton took over on Journey 2: The Mysterious Island. So, Fraser stepped back, and Johnson was cast to play Hank Parsons, the step-dad to Hutcherson's Sean Anderson.

Of course, Fraser's work in Hollywood shifted after 2008, and the actor played very few leading roles in the following years. It's possible that the circumstances that led to this are also responsible for his recasting in the Journey franchise. Regardless of the reason, Johnson taking over in Journey to the Center of the Earth 2 meant that Fraser's role never had the full opportunity to effectively carry on where The Mummy left off. However, with the actor's triumphant return to Hollywood and our current age of reboots and distant sequels, no one knows what could happen going forward.