However, fans remained anxious to learn whether Arnold Vosloo would be appearing as the villain Imhotep, particularly considering the character’s previous death. How Is Imhotep Returning in The Mummy? Namely, in the original movie, Imhotep’s death—notably, his mortal death—is a major factor in the story, as is his subsequent demise in the sequel, The Mummy Returns. In The Mummy Returns, he has been resurrected by a cult. In the meantime, though, fans of the Mummy franchise don’t seem all that troubled by these quandaries.