The Mummy

Short Answer: Revisit the classics, and let the mummy love.

The Mummy series we know, with newly minted Oscar winner Brendan Fraser, started in 1999. Its plot involved the same ancient Egyptian emperor the first one-- from back in 1932-- did: Imhotep.

The original series used Imhotep just that once. The reboot did, too, and so did its sequel. Then both were done with Imhotep and moved on.

The original series went with a baddie named Kharis. They got four movies out of him.

The reboot series went with a Chinese "mummy," which was not a bad idea in itself... but the proposed fourth film was cancelled. 

So, let's go with Kharis for the re-reboot. Watch the four 1940s with him in it and see what powers and other characteristics he has. 

But let's for sure use the better, more interesting motivation for those earlier Mummies' actions; those stories-- both with Imhotep and Kharis-- have more personal motivations for those baddies than (yawn) "take over the world." 

Namely, when they awaken, they seek to reunite with their lovers from their own time, and mistake their now-living descendants (or re-incarnations) for those women. 

Let's say, for our movie, this modern woman has have always found themselves drawn to Egyptology but never knew why. Now they realize the reason.

So at the end, does she break the pharaoh's heart again and say, "No, I'm not her. She died ages ago. Mourn and move on, and I will move on as well." Or does she sacrifice herself to save the world? 

Or does she do the latter... while tricking the Mummy (and the audience) into thinking she has done the former, by... using a decoy? 

This works because it sets us up for a sequel in which the Mummy realizes it has been deceived and now also feels betrayed by her. Vengeance has always been a good motivation for the undead. The second time, she has to choose for real. 

What she chooses is to use a better decoy, one that had her DNA. As long as it's SOME descendant of the original lover, she realizes, the Mummy's heartbreak will be mended. So she directs the Mummy's attention to the grave of a blood relative of hers who was also a descendant of his lover. 

And we in the audience are OK with this because that person, when alive, also always was drawn to Egyptology, but could never afford to go, or was a selfless person altogether...

or maybe even said, "I always felt like I was part of Egyptian history. I wish I could be buried in one of those pyramids." And now our Egyptologist heroine thinks about that and, seeing the spirit of the Mummy and their relative enter the pyramid together, says: "You always were of this history. And now your wish has been granted."