Here is what we all know about the Ghostbusters: 1) they ain’t ‘fraid of no ghosts; 2) bustin’ makes them feel good; 3) their names are Ray Stantz, Peter Venkman, Egon Spengler, and Winston Zeddemore. Certainly, the franchise has tried several times over the past 40 years to change point number three, most obviously with the 2016 reboot movie, but also with the addition of Egon’s family members in the recent movies Ghostbusters: Afterlife and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. But in every case, audiences largely rejected anyone who wasn’t part of the team that took down Gozer in 1984.
The upcoming animated series Ghostbusters: Night Shift might be the franchise’s best chance to finally move beyond the original. According to the synopsis that Sony Animation posted to their Instagram, the series takes place in 1994, when “a group of scrappy New Yorkers must suit up, face their fears, and bust some ghosts.”
The nature of that threat isn’t clear yet, but one of the images included with the post might give us some clues. We see a massive humanoid with flames leaping from his head (think DC Comics‘ Firestorm, but the Blackest Night version). It sits in the middle of New York City, dangling what appears to be a citizen in its hand.
If ghosts such as this are popping up, then it’s easy to see why citizens would be strapping on proton packs to help. But who are these citizens? Again, the Instagram post provides the only information we have thus far. We see six figures walking away from the camera, all with the traditional Ghostbusters work suit and gear. At least two appear to be people of color, while the one tossing a ball to a dog looks like a child, while another riding on a skateboard presents as a teenager or a young adult.
