So, who you gonna call? If you said “my cousin Joey who brings a homemade EMF reader to family barbecues,” same. But if you meant the Ghostbusters Afterlife cast, oh buddy—you’re in for one helluva ride.
I saw Ghostbusters: Afterlife in a nearly empty theater in November, half-high on popcorn butter and nostalgia. The minute I saw the cast lineup? My brain short-circuited like an overworked proton pack.
Let’s break it down. Unevenly. Just like the basement steps in Egon’s creepy farmhouse.
Meet the Newbies (a.k.a. the kids who make me feel 900 years old)
Trevor – Played by Finn Wolfhard (a name that still sounds like a D&D weapon)
If you’ve seen Stranger Things, you already know Finn. He’s the lanky, sarcastic teen who somehow always looks like he knows more than he’s saying. In Afterlife, he plays Trevor—Egon’s grandson and part-time grease monkey.
- Likes: fixing old cars, pretending he’s not scared of ghosts
- Dislikes: authority, emotional vulnerability
- Fun Fact: He fixes the Ecto-1 before he even fully believes in ghosts. Confidence, or denial? You tell me.
Ghostbusters Afterlife cast MVP? Not quite. But he holds his own, and his hair deserves its own credit roll.
Phoebe – Mckenna Grace (scientist, sass queen, potential ghost whisperer?)
Now this is the star. She’s 12 going on 40, cracking awkward science jokes and giving deadpan stares that could curdle milk. Phoebe is Egon’s granddaughter, and she inherited every ounce of his brain… and maybe a few of his ghosts.
Honestly, I wish I was this cool at her age. At 12 I was still crying when someone said “boo” too loudly.
Anyway—here’s the kicker:
- She discovers Egon’s ghost-hunting lab in teh basement (left that typo in honor of my keyboard’s missing “e” cap).
- Communicates with spectral Grandpa via lamps. Yep. Lamps.
- Uses jokes as defense mechanisms. Relatable content.
The Ghostbusters Afterlife cast doesn’t work without her. Period.
Also, her little quips? Straight-up gold. “Why should you never trust atoms? Because they make up everything.” Tip your waitress, folks.
Enter: Paul Rudd, Science Hottie
Mr. Grooberson – The teacher who probably grades homework while watching Ancient Aliens
Paul Rudd plays a seismologist-slash-summer-school-teacher who ends up chaperoning a literal apocalypse. And somehow looks younger than my high school yearbook photo. Unfair.
- Loves: ghost lore, trap tech, awkward flirting with Phoebe’s mom
- Fears: commitment, small-town Wi-Fi speeds
I liked him the moment he said “This town is shaking for no geological reason. That’s not normal.” Same, Paul. Neither is my eye twitch when the Ecto-1’s siren goes off.
Seriously though, Rudd brings that laid-back charm that makes the whole thing feel less The Exorcist and more Scooby-Doo With Consequences.
The Ghostbusters Afterlife cast needed a goofball adult. Rudd understood the assignment.
Oldies But Ghost-ies
Bill Murray as Peter Venkman
Imagine you show up to work 30 years late, still cracking jokes and stealing scenes. That’s Venkman.
He’s still the same sarcastic, half-checked-out dude who used to flirt with ghosts and refuse to wear proper PPE.
- Moment of Glory: Shows up in the third act like, “Did y’all miss me?”
- Favorite line: “You never call, you never write.” Same energy as my grandma.
I teared up. And not just because the nostalgia hit me like an overcooked marshmallow to the face.
Dan Aykroyd as Ray Stantz
Owner of Ray’s Occult Books and probably the only man in cinema history to say “Gozerian hierarchy” with a straight face. Aykroyd returns as the true believer. Ray is the heart of the ghost-thumping science gang.
- He’s on speed dial when sh*t hits the fan
- Basically becomes Phoebe’s paranormal mentor in 2.5 minutes
If the Ghostbusters Afterlife cast is a band, Ray’s playing bass. Not flashy—but you’d notice if he was gone.
Ernie Hudson as Winston Zeddemore
Winston is now rich, successful, and—get this—still incredibly chill about ghosts.
- Bought the firehouse again. Like a boss.
- Plans to restart the ghostbusting biz. With better funding this time, we hope.
Ernie Hudson delivers some of the most emotional lines in the film. Quiet, powerful stuff. And not gonna lie, I clapped. Alone. In my living room.
A Ghost of a Legend – Egon Spengler, Still Saving the Day
Okay, so Harold Ramis passed in 2014 (RIP, king), but Egon’s presence is everywhere in this movie. From the ghost traps buried in the yard to the piles of spores, molds, and fungi—this place screams “I lived alone and had secrets.”
The final act? Egon’s ghost shows up. And helps his granddaughter battle Gozer.
Even as pixels and nostalgia, he held more emotional weight than 90% of Oscar-winning performances. I cried like someone watching Field of Dreams backward.
The Ghostbusters Afterlife cast owes its soul (pun intended) to Egon.
Weirdo Sidekicks We Didn’t Know We Needed
Podcast – Logan Kim
Yes, that’s literally his name. No, he’s not annoying. He’s actually awesome.
- Obsessed with conspiracies
- Records everything. Even ghost screams.
- Sidekick energy turned up to 11
I swear, if Podcast doesn’t end up on Spotify with a show called Ghosts Are Real, Fight Me, I’ll be mad.
Podcast might be the closest thing this generation gets to a young Ray Stantz. Curious, chaotic, but well-meaning.
The Ghostbusters Afterlife cast needed a wildcard. He delivered.
Lucky – Celeste O’Connor
Lucky is the only diner waitress I know who can handle ghost dog attacks while flirting with a Spengler.
She’s Trevor’s maybe-girlfriend and a surprisingly fearless ghostbusting recruit. Not just there to look cute. She fights back, hard.
- Represents: Small-town smarts
- One-liner queen
- Helps modernize the squad’s diversity and energy
Lucky gives the story its edge. The Ghostbusters Afterlife cast ain’t just for nerdy boys anymore.
Oh Hey—Cameos & Creepers
- Annie Potts returns as Janine, looking like she still chain-smokes sarcasm for breakfast. She doesn’t get much screen time, but she delivers.
- J.K. Simmons (surprise!) plays Ivo Shandor. For like 20 seconds. And then Gozer rips him in half. So that happened.
Also, that Walmart scene with the mini Stay Pufts? I laughed, then cried, then nearly bought a marshmallow-scented candle. Mistake.
Real Talk – Why This Cast Slaps
Here’s the messy list I jotted on a napkin from Pete’s Deli (next to Pete’s Hardware—yep, still sells ghost repellents):
- 🧠 Old-school actors brought authenticity, not cringe
- 🤓 Mckenna Grace deserves ten ghost traps full of awards
- 🛠️ The kids weren’t annoying (miracle)
- 👻 Egon’s tribute = emotionally illegal
- 🎤 Rudd’s character felt like that one cool uncle who shows up at cookouts with moon rocks
The Ghostbusters Afterlife cast might be the first intergenerational supernatural team that actually works.
Random Fact Corner (because you didn’t ask)
Victorians used to believe ghosts couldn’t cross water. So they built bridges with dead ends. I mention this because I once tried to trap a spider in my bathtub with the same logic. Didn’t work. His name was Carl. He still lives rent-free in my nightmares.
Final Thought. Or Maybe Just a Wandering One.
Look, Afterlife isn’t perfect. There’s some clunky dialogue, a few weird pacing issues, and yes—their/there mix-ups in some prop books (I noticed. I’m annoying like that).
But the Ghostbusters Afterlife cast? It’s what made the movie more than just a reboot.
It felt like a handoff. From Egon to Phoebe. From us, the aging millennials with our ghost trap lunchboxes, to the new generation of spook-squad nerds.
So if your heart didn’t flutter when the old team showed up, or you didn’t get misty when Egon hugged his daughter… are you even alive?
