Fan-Favorite 'Ghostbusters' Character Confirmed to Return in 'Frozen Empire'

One of the most beloved Ghostbusters characters is set to make their long-awaited return in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024).

There are mostly good things to say about Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021). It introduces a great new character in McKenna Grace’s Phoebe Spengler, and it’s a touching tribute to the late Harold Ramis, who’s best known for playing Egon Spengler in the first two films.

Bringing young characters into the mix was a smart move, but it was no accident when you consider Stranger Things‘ phenomenal success. But like Stranger Things, Afterlife is stuck in the past (in a bad way), as it relies on villains from the 1984 film: Gozer, the Stay Puft, and the Terror Dogs. We get it; nostalgia sells tickets. But it’s still lazy writing.

Olivia Wilde as Gozer in 'Ghostbusters: Afterlife' — Credit: Sony Pictures

Confusingly, though, one villain from the original two films was absent: Slimer. Affectionately known as the “ugly little spud,” he was replaced by a similarly-shaped specter named Muncher. So similar, in fact, he may as well have been the iconic green goo-ball.

But now, it has been confirmed that the green ectoplasm-secreting apparition will finally return in the upcoming sequel Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.

Muncher the ghost in 'Ghostbusters: Afterlife' — Credit: Sony Pictures

Taking to their official social media channels, Ghostbusters has shared a video of a scaled-down replica of the Ghostbusters Firehouse (which will be distributed to movie theaters), whose doors boast a “lenticular illusion” that reveals the Ecto-1 and Slimer, along with Frozen Empire‘s new main villain known as the “Death Chill” and another unknown entity (we’d best consult Tobin’s Spirit Guide):

Check out the video shared by the Ghostbusters X (formerly Twitter) account below:

Slimer is back along with a new empire of spirits waiting to be discovered. #Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is coming soon exclusively to movie theaters.

Slimer is back along with a new empire of spirits waiting to be discovered. #Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is coming soon exclusively to movie theaters. pic.twitter.com/oRsXBaLC17

— Ghostbusters (@Ghostbusters) December 11, 2023

It’s perhaps now rather obvious as to why the filmmakers benched Slimer in Afterlife — it seems they didn’t want to lay all their nostalgia cards on the table in one hit. After all, they need some surprise cameos for the upcoming film, especially seeing as it’s set in New York City. So far, the only human legacy character in Frozen Empire who didn’t show up in Afterlife is Walter Peck (William Atherton).

Slimer is a beloved and iconic character who has appeared in almost every iteration of Ghostbusters: the first three films (including the 2016 reboot), the animated shows The Real Ghostbusters (1986 — 1991) and Extreme Ghostbusters (1997), the long-running IDW Publishing comic book series, and the majority of the Ghostbusters video games.

Slimer (Robin Shelby) eating in 'Ghostbusters 2' — Credit: Sony Pictures

Known as the “Onionhead Ghost” by the crew, the iconic green ghost was played by William Bryan in the 1984 film and Robin Shelby in the 1989 sequel, who returned to play Lady Slimer in Ghostbusters: Answer the Call (2016), while Adam Ray took the reins of Slimer, the first CG-animated version of the character in film.

But Slimer isn’t the only familiar face returning in Frozen Empire. Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Logan Kim, Celeste O’Connor, and McKenna Grace reprise their roles as Gary Grooberson, Callie Spengler, Trevor Spengler, Podcast, Lucky Domingo, and Phoebe Spengler, respectively, while legacy actors Ernie Hudson, Bill Murray, Annie Potts, Dan Aykroyd, and William Atherton are back as Winston Zeddemore, Peter Venkman, Janine Melnitz, Ray Stantz, and Walter Peck, respectively.

Check out the trailer for Frozen Empire below, per Sony Pictures:

Unsurprisingly, the film looks mostly on par with Afterlife in that it lacks the same energy that made the original two films so entertaining. But at least it introduces a new villain: the horned beast known as the Death Chill, who plunges New York City into a frozen hellscape.

But should we be excited or concerned about Slimer’s return? Will Frozen Empire rely as heavily on nostalgia as its predecessor? We understand that Afterlife is as much a love letter to the 1984 film as it is to Harold Ramis, and that following the debacle that was Answer the Call, a course correction that involved re-establishing the original timeline was necessary.

But did it need to slap audiences over the head with so many references to the original film? We’re surprised all that attempt at nostalgia-baiting didn’t result in a river of pink nostalgia slime. Speaking of which, at this rate, we wouldn’t be surprised if the return of the evil oil painting Vigo the Carpathian from Ghostbusters II is also announced soon.

You read it here first.

The Ecto-1 in the barn in 'Ghostbusters Afterlife' — Credit: Sony Pictures

The official synopsis for the film reads as follows (per Sony Pictures):

In Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, the Spengler family returns to where it all started – the iconic New York City firehouse – to team up with the original Ghostbusters, who’ve developed a top-secret research lab to take busting ghosts to the next level. But when the discovery of an ancient artifact unleashes an evil force, Ghostbusters new and old must join forces to protect their home and save the world from a second Ice Age.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire will be released on March 29, 2024.

Are you excited to see Slimer return for Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!