Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire Bringing Back 1 Iconic Ghost (Not Slimer) Seems More Than A Fun Callback

A lot of fan-favorite characters will return in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, but the sequel’s trailer makes it clear that one comeback will be more than mere fan service. Ghostbusters: Afterlife had to tread a tricky line when it came to the sci-fi comedy reboot’s returning characters. On the one hand, 2016’s earlier Ghostbusters was criticized for not bringing back enough heroes and villains from the original movies. On the other hand, focusing on existing characters over new cast members could have left Ghostbusters: Afterlife feeling less like a movie and more like an exercise in collective audience nostalgia.

Fortunately, the upcoming Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire seems to have worked out how to handle this issue. Although the sequel will bring back plenty of existing characters, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is offering a new twist on each of them. Annie Potts’ long-suffering receptionist Janine will return, but she will be suiting up as a Ghostbuster for the first time in the franchise’s history. The original Ghostbusters team of Ray, Winston, and Venkman will be back again, but they will be facing a villain other than the original movie’s Gozer this time around. Even the ghosts that are back seem to have changed.

The Library Ghost’s Return In Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire Can Be More Than Fan Service

The iconic library ghost from the original Ghostbusters appears to return in the Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire trailer. She even seems to be recreating her original role, as the library ghost chases Dan Akroyd’s Ray down a hallway in both the 1984 movie and this new trailer. However, the trailer also divulges some new information about Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’s main villain that makes this comeback more promising. After Ghostbusters: Afterlife’s ending, the series needed a new villain and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire has provided one with a terrifying power. According to the trailer, the sequel’s villain can kill with fear alone.

If Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’s main monster does murder its victims through sheer terror, this could mean that Ray isn’t encountering the original library ghost in the trailer. Instead, Ray may be seeing a monster that is recreating that memorably scary scene from Ghostbusters. The library ghost might be the form the villain has taken to scare Ray, embodying his greatest fear, similar to It‘s Pennywise or Harry Potter‘s Boggart. This would mean that each of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’s heroes could face different versions of the villain, and it would also provide a neat connection to the original movie.

Why The Return Of The Library Ghost Is So Exciting For Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

In Ghostbusters, Gozer took the form of the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man because that was the image Ray imagined when he tried desperately not to think of anything. As such, the library ghost’s return could herald the existence of a new villain with a darker spin on this same power. The sequel’s monster might be able to embody the greatest fear of its beholder or revisit their scariest memories, meaning Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’s heroes will have a harder time defeating it. This means the sequel could pack real scares, allowing Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire to provide something that was missing from its softer predecessor.