What The Ghostbusters Post-Credits Scene Really Means
If you enjoy movies that are either part of an ongoing franchise or are clearly champing at the bit to be the first chapter in a new franchise, always stick around until after the credits. (This may seem like obvious advice, but given how many people can still be heard wondering aloud about whether they should stick around, it clearly isn't.) We've reached the point where you're probably going to find yourself treated to a post-credits scene, so just kick back, suck it up, and wait and see what happens. At the very least, we can assure you that you won't be let down at the end of Ghostbusters, but as we delve into what we witnessed after the end of the film, allow us to pass along the obligatory warning: THERE ARE TREMENDOUS SPOILERS AHEAD.
Happily ever after...for now
After the film ends and all's apparently right with the world once more, the credits begin, during which time we're treated to the last cameo from one of the original Ghostbusters cast members—Sigourney Weaver turns up as Rebecca Gorin, who Holtzmann (Kate McKinnon) describes as her mentor—and a few more minutes of Kevin (Chris Hemsworth) making a dancing fool out of himself. After the credits reach their inevitable conclusion, however, we're suddenly back in Ghostbusters HQ, where the foursome are sitting around doing a whole lot of nothing. Well, everyone but Patty (Leslie Jones), that is.
This is a recording
Earlier in the film, Abby (Melissa McCarthy) and Holtzmann enjoy a good laugh when they convince Erin (Kristen Wiig) to listen to a recording that's purportedly of something supernatural, only for her to be treated to the sound of a fart. As such, when we spy Patty listening to a recording, it's reasonable enough for us to presume that she's about to get blasted herself. Presumably because they didn't want movie theaters to be burned to the ground by angry patrons, the film instead goes in a different direction, with Patty asking her cohorts a simple three-word question: "Who is Zuul?"
Yeah, who *is* Zuul?
Glad you asked, although we're pretty sure it's a rhetorical question. Zuul is, as anyone who owns a copy of Tobin's Spirit Guide already knows, the Gatekeeper of Gozer, but you may remember it best from when it appeared inside Dana Barrett's refrigerator in the original 1984 Ghostbusters. Immediately thereafter, Zuul took possession of Dana's body, where it remained until after the Ghostbusters successfully prevented Gozer from entering our world, but as you can see from the photo, Zuul's true form clearly reveals a demigod that you probably wouldn't want to trifle with.
So will the Ghostbusters sequel be a retread of the 1984 film?
Thankfully, no. Or at least it doesn't sound like that's the case, based on what Paul Feig said in an interview with IGN regarding the moment. It sounds more like he just wanted to have the option to go there if he wanted to.
"We wanted to say possibly there's something you know from the first one
can come in," said Feig, "It's not about creating the cinematic universe where
suddenly there's a wormhole and the original Ghostbusters show
up, although somebody might do that at some point. But I don't know, it
was kind of a little comfort food, Easter egg, that gives us an opening
if we wanted to do another movie."
Wait, what did he say about a wormhole?
That was just a beautiful, beautiful dream, and one that obviously can't happen in its entirety now that we live in a world without Harold Ramis. But if it could, it would obviously be the greatest movie in the history of cinema.
So should we be living in fear of Zuul?
Given the lessons Hollywood hopefully learned from trying to redo The Wrath of Khan with Star Trek Into Darkness, we'd like to think Feig understands why using the villain from the original Ghostbusters movie in the sequel to the new Ghostbusters would be a very bad idea. Plus, the fact that none of the other Ghostbusters seem to have any clue at all about who the heck this Zuul character is would lead us to believe that Feig's being honest in his assertion that it was really just to let it be known that it wouldn't be impossible for the Gatekeeper of Gozer to stop by. But just in case Feig is taking sequel suggestions, the prospect of seeing Sigourney Weaver's new character playing a prominent role in any subsequent films is one that thrills us to no end, so we're keeping our fingers crossed on that front instead.