Ghostbusters: The 5 Biggest Cameos In The Frozen Empire Trailer Explained

Two years after "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" hit theaters in November 2021, fans are finally starting to learn more about its highly anticipated sequel. Indeed, after months of teasing its cast and potentially icy New York setting, Sony Pictures has officially unveiled the first "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire" trailer. While the teaser itself only alludes to certain aspects of the film's plot, it does confirm that the sequel will not only escort viewers back to the Ghostbusters' iconic firehouse base but also take place in a version of New York City that has been overtaken by a dangerous, seemingly supernatural winter storm.

In addition to teasing the sequel's cold setting, the "Ghostbuster: Frozen Empire" trailer also offers fans new looks at its cast of largely returning characters, which includes Callie (Carrie Coon), Phoebe (Mckenna Grace), and Trevor Spengler (Finn Wolfhard), as well as Gary Grooberson (Paul Rudd) and Lucky Domingo (Celeste O'Connor). They're not the only noteworthy figures featured throughout the teaser, either.

On the contrary, it also includes several brief, blink-and-you'll-miss-them appearances from characters whom viewers may not have even known are going to be in "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire." With that in mind, here's everything fans need to know about the trailer's five biggest cameos.

The first "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire" teaser trailer spotlights several of the franchise's original heroes, including Dan Aykroyd's Dr. Raymond "Ray" Stantz. However, given how well-known Aykroyd's love for the "Ghostbusters" property is among both die-hard fans and casual viewers alike, it may come as a bigger surprise to learn that Bill Murray's Dr. Peter Venkman is also set to appear in the new film. Indeed, the fan-favorite character appears very briefly in the "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire" trailer.

The size of his role in the sequel is unclear right now. It seems unlikely that he'll have a bigger presence in the film than he did in 2021's "Ghostbusters: Afterlife," which doesn't ask him to do much more than make an extended cameo during its third-act climax. The character does seem to be both standing by the Ecto-1 and wearing his familiar tan jumpsuit in the "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire" trailer, though, so it seems safe to say that he'll still be his reluctantly heroic self when viewers see him onscreen again next year.

Ernie Hudson's Winston Zeddemore shows up mere moments before Bill Murray's Peter Venkman in the recent "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire" trailer. Hudson's presence in the teaser is, like Murray's, limited to just one brief shot. While he seems to be standing in the same space as Peter, though, Winston is actually wearing his proton pack when he appears in the trailer. He, consequently, seems a little more prepared to fight whatever threat is approaching both him and his fellow Ghostbuster during the moment in question.

The new film will reportedly follow the remaining members of the Spengler family as they travel to New York City to reunite with the original Ghostbusters. Their reunion is apparently disrupted by the discovery of an artifact containing an evil force capable of sending the entire world into a new Ice Age. Taking all of that into account, it's possible that the "Frozen Empire" trailer catches up with Winston and Peter just as they are preparing to face a new wave of the film's powerful winter storm, which Dan Aykroyd's Ray refers to at one point as "the Death Chill."

The trailer could alternatively be teasing a moment when the two original Ghostbusters find themselves face-to-face with the mysterious new villain at the center of "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire." Either way, fans can take comfort for now in knowing that "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" director and "Frozen Empire" co-writer Jason Reitman has promised that Winston will get his due in the forthcoming sequel.

The "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire" trailer doesn't just feature brief cameo appearances from its franchise's legacy characters. It also briefly — and, in some cases, wordlessly — spotlights several franchise newcomers. The film is, notably, set to introduce a handful of new characters, including a pair of mysterious figures played by "Doctor Sleep" star Emily Alyn Lind and comedian James Acaster, the latter of whom is featured repeatedly throughout the "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire" teaser.

The trailer also introduces a new character played by "Eternals" actor Kumail Nanjiani. The former "Silicon Valley" star has no lines in the teaser, but he is shown opening the door to a hidden room alongside Finn Wolfhard's Trevor Spengler and Celeste O'Connor's Lucky Domingo. The moment suggests that Nanjiani's character may emerge as an unlikely new ally to the film's younger heroes. Unfortunately, fans likely won't find out anything specific about the actor's "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire" character until more details about the sequel are revealed.

Of all of the new characters set to be introduced in "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire," none are featured more prominently in its first trailer than the one played by Patton Oswalt. Not only does the "Ratatouille" and "A.P. Bio" actor appear multiple times throughout the film's teaser trailer, but he's also the only one of the movie's franchise newcomers who gets any lines of dialogue in it. Indeed, Oswalt's character ominously explains around the trailer's midpoint that the supernatural event at the center of "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire" is what results in several New York City citizens freezing to death in the middle of July.

In addition to his brief bit of narration, Oswalt ultimately appears two times in the trailer. First, he's shown standing in an elevator with Dan Aykroyd's Ray, Logan Kim's Podcast, and Mckenna Grace's Phoebe. Later, he briefly takes a moment to geek out with Phoebe about the film's supernatural events. All in all, these moments don't reveal much about Oswalt's character, including his name. However, he seems to be not only an ally to the heroes of "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire," but also a potential source of knowledge for them.

Near the end of the first "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire" trailer, a tall, horned creature with glowing eyes can be seen floating through a strange doorway. Several moments earlier, the teaser shows what is likely the same icy, pale-skinned monster shoving a horn into the side of its own skull. Right now, it seems safe to assume that the creature featured in both of these scenes is the main villain of "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire" and, therefore, the source of its devastating and deadly winter storm.

No information has been revealed about the character in question, including whether it's an entirely new entity or a revamp of a previously established antagonist. Two years ago, "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" famously brought back Gozer, so it seems unlikely that "Frozen Empire" will similarly revisit one of its franchise's previous villains. That possibility certainly isn't out of the question, though. There are, in fact, some fans who think that the film's villain could be a riff on an obscure character from the "Ghostbusters World" mobile game.

Odds are, viewers won't know whether or not that's really the case until "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire" hits theaters on March 29, 2024.