A Beloved Original Ghostbusters Character Returns In Frozen Empire

Based on some noteworthy cameos in the first "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire" trailer, it's clear the upcoming "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" sequel is aiming to be a crowd-pleaser. Alongside Bill Murray, several original "Ghostbusters" cast members return in "Frozen Empire," and they're even headed back to their former base of operations from those films, too.

On December 11, the official Ghostbusters Instagram account posted a short video that confirmed the return of another fan-favorite character. The video showcases a 3D cardboard doorway in what appears to be a movie theater lobby, panning across its front so that its right side comes into view last. On that right side is Slimer, the iconic green ghost and agent of chaos from prior entries in the franchise. "Slimer is back along with a new empire of spirits waiting to be discovered," reads the Instagram post's caption, clarifying its intent in no uncertain terms.

The original "Ghostbusters" introduces Slimer as an adversary to the Ghostbusters team, though he's more of a comic relief character than an outright villain. From the second "Ghostbusters" on, however, Slimer is essentially the franchise's mascot and a friend to its heroes, both in live-action and animated form. While he was absent from "Afterlife," Slimer is now confirmed to return in "Frozen Empire," following a sort of cameo role in the 2016 "Ghostbusters" film, which, until now, was his most recent live-action appearance.

Since Slimer wasn't in the previous "Ghostbusters" movie, his "Frozen Empire" comeback is surely good news for dedicated fans of the franchise. What's more, this surprise announcement also hints at the overall tone fans can expect in the forthcoming sequel.

Just after the first "Frozen Empire" trailer dropped, Kumail Nanjiani — who plays a part in the film — posted on X (formerly known as Twitter), "I am a huge fan of The Real Ghostbusters (the animated series) and that show was a point of reference for this movie. The filmmakers wanted to make a long episode of the animated series. So if you love that show as I do, be excited."

Whereas in live-action, Slimer is a fun side character, in the "Ghostbusters" cartoon series, he's part of the core cast and an eventual member of the Ghostbusters team. Between Nanjiani's tweet and Slimer's return, it appears that "Frozen Empire" will resemble a story from "The Real Ghostbusters." Without seeing footage of him in action, of course, it's still unclear if he'll behave like he did in previous movies or like his animated counterpart, but Nanjiani's post raises the possibility of a Slimer that works with the Ghostbusters team for the first time in live-action.

Directed by Gil Kenan, "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire" arrives in theaters on March 29, 2024.