Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’s Franchise-Changing New Ability Sets Up A Very Different Future

The following contains spoilers for Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, now playing in theaters

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire formally introduces the concept of Ghost Walking to the film franchise, which could be an ideal way to expand the series going into a potential Ghostbusters 6. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire continues the legacy storyline that was introduced in Ghostbusters: Afterlife, highlighting how paranormal research and combat have evolved since the events of the original Ghostbusters. New technology and ancient techniques are put to task, with characters like Phoebe upgrading the Ghostbusters’ proton packs while Nadeem uses magical powers to combat ghosts.

One of these new ideas is a particularly exciting one from a storytelling perspective, as it opens a number of potential paths that could build on the ending of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. Ghost Walking can allow characters to briefly become spirits themselves, interacting directly with the entities that the Ghostbusters were formed to combat. This could allow future films in the series to explore the other dimensional realms teased by entities like Gozer or explore new perspectives on the afterlife. Ghost Walking could even be used as a reason to bring concepts from Ghostbusters spin-offs into the core film franchise.

Phoebe Becomes The First Person To Ghost Walk In Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

How Phoebe Establishes A Ghostbusters Film First

One of the biggest turns in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire occurs when Phoebe Spengler becomes the first character in the franchise to become a ghost while still technically alive — which could set up the concept to become more important in future films. Phoebe is able to do this through the use of a device designed at Winston Zeddemore’s paranormal research facility. The machine was designed to separate spirits from possessed objects, allowing them to contain and study ghosts. Having developed a deep friendship with the ghostly Melody, Phoebe decides to use the machine so they can briefly touch one another.

Although this is quickly turned against Phoebe and abused as part of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire villain Garraka’s schemes to be freed from his brass prison, the concept of a Ghostbuster being able to briefly turn into a ghost is a compelling one. The franchise has always inherently raised questions about the afterlife, but there’s been little actual exploration of what that entails and how the ghostly dimensions operate. Even when Melody ascends to a better place at the end of the film, there are few clues as to what that truly means. Now, future films can address that.

Future Ghostbusters Movies Can Use Ghost Walking To Explore The Ghost Dimension

How New Ghostbusters Movies Can Use Ghost Walking To Expand The Universe

Phoebe establishing that people can briefly Ghost Walk sets up a lot of potential new directions for the series. This could allow other Ghostbusters movies to explore the ghostly dimensions or even see what the inside of a ghost trap is like. Notably, Phoebe is only able to have a ghost form for a few minutes before her body reawakens, dragging her soul back into the physical plane. This does introduce the idea that Ghost Walking can have very firm limits and rules.

This is a natural way to introduce stakes into a new exploration of the Ghostbusters world, especially given the dangerous forces like Gozer and Garraka that could use this as an opening to strike at the corporeal world. Ghost Walking could be an ideal way to look at the franchise from a new perspective, opening up the wider Ghostbusters universe for expansion and exploration. It could even be the ideal way to take elements from animated shows and cartoons that haven’t appeared in the films. Ghost Walking opens the door giving these concepts the big-budget treatment.

Will Ghostbusters 6 Take Place In The Netherworld?

How The Ghostbusters Films Could Make Elements Of The Cartoons Canon

Featured in animated shows like The Real Ghostbusters and Extreme Ghostbusters, the Netherworld is an otherworldly dimension inhabited by ghosts and demonic forces. The realms are dangerous settings where only demons and spirits can safely exist. The realm has also been used as a conduit for supernatural energy, which the Ghostbusters were able to funnel through cross-dimensional conduits to achieve their goals. The concept of otherworldly dimensions makes sense given the events of the films, but settings like the Netherworld haven’t been explored in the film canon.

However, now that characters can become ghosts themselves, it might be the perfect time to explore that concept. A prospective Ghostbusters 6 could see Phoebe and her allies continue this research, venturing into the realms that the Ghostbusters had never previously dared to explore. It could expand the film’s approach to the supernatural, showcase a new slew of threats, or even offer the Ghostbusters a new direction to go in if they question the rules and realities of their world. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire uses Ghost Walking briefly, but the concept could open the door to all sorts of future stories.