Ghostbusters Frozen Empire End-Credits Scene Explained Mini-Puft Mayhem
Editor's note: The following contains spoilers for 'Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire'
The Big Picture
- Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire brings together old and new Ghostbusters to stop a malevolent entity armed with the powers of a Death Chill.
- The mid-credits scene in Frozen Empire is a humorous gag featuring Mini-Pufts stealing a freight truck full of Stay-Puft Marshmallows.
- The movie sets up the potential for future Ghostbusters stories with the establishment of the new Paranormal Research Center.
The Ghostbusters return to the big screen for the fourth canonical installment of the franchise in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. Bringing together the old and new Ghostbusters of the previous films, the heroes must band together to save New York City from a deadly, malevolent entity named Garraka, who is armed with the powers of the Death Chill. It’s now up to the Ghostbusters, led by Egon’s granddaughter, Phoebe Spengler (Mckenna Grace), to lead the team and figure out a way to stop the evil spirit who wishes to raise an army of undead spirits and take over the entire world.
While the previous entry in the franchise, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, had two end-credit scenes, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire has only one. The post-credits scene in Afterlife provided a nice sequel hook to the next film, but there's no such sequence in Frozen Empire. However, the end credits scene does provide a nice humorous appearance that some audience members will likely enjoy.
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
PG-13Adventure Sci-FiComedyFantasy 10When 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.
Release Date March 22, 2024 Director Gil Kenan Cast Mckenna Grace , Carrie Coon , Paul Rudd , Emily Alyn Lind , Finn Wolfhard , Bill Murray , Dan Aykroyd , Ernie Hudson Runtime 125 MinutesWhat Is the Mid-Credits Scene?
Frozen Empire's sole mid-credits sequence takes place after the initial closing title sequence, similar to how Afterlife showed a cameo of Sigourney Weaver reprising her role as Dana Barrett from the first two films. The Frozen Empire mid-credits sequence merely acts as a humorous gag scene, with another hilarious appearance by the beloved Mini-Puft monsters (miniature versions of the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man of the first film and The Real Ghostbusters cartoon).
Related'Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire' Review: Who You Gonna Call? Somebody Else
'Frozen Empire' shows there's still some life in this series, but only when it keeps the past in the past.
In Frozen Empire, Podcast (Logan Kim), who lives in Ray Stantz’s bookshop and works as an "intern" for the summer, reveals that some of the Mini-Pufts from the Summerville, Oklahoma incident with Gozer the Gozerian in Ghostbusters: Afterlife managed to survive and followed him to New York City. They appear throughout the movie, causing various, but mostly innocuous, acts of mischief. In the mid-credits scene, the Mini-Pufts are shown stealing and hijacking a truck driver’s freight truck. The cargo? None other than Stay0Puft Marshmallows. It looks like the Mini-Pufts will be creating an army and spreading their mischief across the country!
Is There a Hook for Another 'Ghostbusters' Sequel?
CloseWhile there isn’t a setup or hook for sequels in the mid-credits scene, the ending of the film offers potential for more Ghostbusters stories. Since Garraka emptied the firehouse’s ghost containment unit, all the ghosts inside have been unleashed. The containment unit was almost full and nearly at its breaking point, so it now acts as the new trap and prison for Garraka.
Earlier in the film, Winston Zeddemore (Ernie Hudson) reveals to the team a new Paranormal Research Center, based on a derelict aquarium, with fresh high-tech equipment to study, trap, and contain wild ghosts. With the new Paranormal Research Center, the Ghostbusters now have a revamped base of operations, along with the means and financing to expand their operation. Thanks to financing from Winston, they've got new and improved equipment, a new base, and an expanded containment unit to imprison all the freed ghosts they now have to capture. Plus, with the support of New York City behind the team, they're able to keep Mayor Walter Peck (William Atherton) off their backs, lest he draw the public's ire, but Mayor Peck will be an uneasy ally for the group.
The ending potentially leaves the door open for more adventures with the newer cast members for future installments or spinoffs. Additionally, co-writer and Afterlife director Jason Reitman is developing a new animated Ghostbusters series for Netflix. So, there is plenty of room and avenues to explore the newly established status quo in upcoming Ghostbusters films and TV shows.
'Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire' Is a Fun, Nostalgic Legacy Sequel
As far as legacy sequels for long-running franchises go, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is a fun, entertaining ride. It does a good job servicing the newer characters, focusing on Phoebe as the main franchise lead while providing some rewarding scenes with the older cast members, and the cast has great chemistry. It's also fun to see Atherton make a return as the Ghostbusters' dastardly bureaucratic menace, Walter Peck, who is now the mayor of New York City. All the original cast members are older now, but they haven't lost their charm and charisma!
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is now playing in theaters in the U.S.
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