The 2002 film, The Scorpion King, directed by Chuck Russell, depicts the journey of Mathayus as he attempts to overthrow the despotic warrior Memnon. The Scorpion King serves as a prequel to The Mummy Returns, and it helped explain the origin story of how Mathayus came to be the Scorpion King and the villain of the latter film. Luckily for fans of The Mummy Returns, The Scorpion King was able to bring back the same actor for the titular role as well as add other prominent actors to the cast list.