We’ve been waiting far too long for Ghostbusters: Afterlife. The last time the franchise hit the big screen was with the awful Ghostbusters (2016), but the current tactic is to simply pretend that mess didn’t happen and carry on the story of the original two flicks. As such, the movie has leaned hard on old imagery in its marketing, with the (slightly rusty) Ecto-1 in pride of place.
We know that most of the original cast are returning (Harold Ramis will be missed, though) as well, and today we got confirmation that a certain sugary sweet monster is making a comeback. I’m talking the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man, last seen terrorizing New York and threatening to bring about the end of the world in the mid-80s. Fortunately, it seems like the Stay-Puft company have survived their mascot almost ushering in the apocalypse, as a new version of it appears in a clip released today.
But there’s a twist. As you can see above, these are mini-Marshmallow Men, who take a bite out of Paul Rudd’s fingers and go on to carry out some pint-sized mayhem. Reactions to the footage online seem to be pretty positive, too, and here’s a sample of how it’s going down…
Now I understand why everyone kept going on about Baby Yoda. I would like a mini Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man, please, even if it does act like a Gremlin…#Ghostbustersafterlife pic.twitter.com/3iKWVR26EQ
— Mark Rees (@reviewwales) April 7, 2021
stand back baby yoda, baby stay puft is here!!!
— Quagmire1428 Gaming (@Quagmire9) April 7, 2021
New #Ghostbusters movie? Ehhhh…
2 seconds into trailer, Paul Rudd you say? You have my interest.
Baby Stay Puft marshmallow man? I see through what you have done, but damn it if they aren't cute. You have my attention.
— Enigma_Tim Gaming 🇺🇦 (@EnigmaT1m) April 7, 2021
https://twitter.com/paulkleinyo/status/1379845385053691906?s=20
Stay puft gremlins!
— Cloudy Jayne (@cloudy_jayne) April 7, 2021
The introduction of this baby Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man in #Ghostbustersafterlife, along with what we already know about the size of a full-grown SPMM from GB canon, implies that at some point during their growth there are just regular human-size marshmallow men walking around. pic.twitter.com/FdwIoKbLT3
— Sonar Jose (@SonarJose) April 7, 2021
https://twitter.com/Lindz_Jay/status/1379844607496892424?s=20
https://twitter.com/KirstynCobb1/status/1379842763106045953?s=20
https://twitter.com/echo1spengler/status/1379840796686487562?s=20
Never understood the Stay Puft Marshmallow company in #Ghostbusters as I've never once seen an un-puffed marshmallow. Was crappy marshmallow a problem in the 80s or something?
— David C. James (@PixelHunted) April 7, 2021
Baby Stay Puft vs. Baby Slimer please!
— Chapman Maddox (@chapmadd) April 7, 2021
https://twitter.com/TheMiggyMack/status/1379840023131009030?s=20
Whatever, I like the new Stay-Puft. I’m allowed to like cute stupid crap
— Dr. Frank-N-Baylor (@soopergoose187) April 7, 2021
My only worry is that these mini-Marshmallow men point to the movie ending up too goofy and reliant on nostalgia. Though generally regarded as a comedy, Ghostbusters has some genuinely scary and unnerving sequences like the library ghost, the devil dogs and Dana Barrett becoming possessed. Afterlife seems firmly aimed at a family audience, but let’s hope that they don’t completely sacrifice the creepiness that made the original so unique.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife hits theaters on November 11th, and hopefully it’ll prove to be worth the wait.