Tamal Kundu
The mid-credits and post-credits scenes have become quite prevalent in franchise filmmaking. Sometimes, they are used in creating unadulterated moments of fanservice, while other times, they have generated a sense of expectancy for future projects. ‘Ghostbusters’ is a beloved transmedia franchise that has enthralled fans since the 1980s.
This time around, in ‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife,’ the story focuses on late Dr. Egon Spengler’s (Harold Ramis) grandchildren as they attempt to prevent the return of Gozer the Gozerian. If you are wondering whether ‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife’ has mid-credits or post-credits scenes to indicate the story will go on or give fans a pure moment of nostalgia, we got you covered.
Does Ghostbusters: Afterlife Have a Mid-Credits Scene?
Yes, ‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife’ has a mid-credits scene. It directly references Dr. Peter Venkman’s (Bill Murray) ESP test scene in the 1984 original film. Dana Barrett (Sigourney Weaver) appears, the wedding ring on her finger indicating she and Venkman are married. From this, we can deduce that the scene is taking place at their home. Just like what Venkman did to those hapless male students at Columbia University, Dana sends electric shocks whenever Venkman gets an ESP card wrong. This continues until he admits that he used to mark the cards and that he only did this to his male students.
This wonderfully constructed scene lets the fans know that Venkman and Dana are not only alright, but they are together as well. It implies that the two of them got married at some point after the second film — ‘Ghostbusters II,’ and from what we see of their relationship dynamic in that brief sequence, we can safely speculate that Dr. Peter Venkman and Dana Barrett are happy.
Does Ghostbusters: Afterlife Have a Post-Credits Scene?
Yes, ‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife’ has a post-credits scene. It begins with a deleted scene from the original film in which Janine Melnitz (Annie Potts) gives her lucky coin from the 1964 World’s Fair at Flushing Meadow to Egon. The narrative then shifts to the present, and Janine is seen with a similar coin. It might be the same one or a duplicate, given that she says in the deleted scene that she has another one back at home.
The older Janine is revealed to be at the office building of Dr. Winston Zeddemore (Ernie Hudson), who is now a billionaire. He tells Janine that he will never stop being a ghostbuster no matter how much success he has achieved with his business. It turns out that he has paid off several of Egon’s debts.
Later, Winston has the Ecto-1 brought to the original ghostbusters headquarters. In the movie’s closing scene, a containment unit in the basement of the old fire station begins to glow with a brilliant red hue, implying that the psycho-kinetic energy stored inside can explode at any time. This scene seems to set up the sequel, which will probably be set in New York City, the stomping ground of the original crew.
Read More: Where Was Ghostbusters Afterlife Filmed?
