Ghostbusters: Afterlife Images Show Off Everyone's Favorite, MUNCHER

The trailer for "Ghostbusters: Afterlife," which hits theaters in November, shows kids in the Ectomobile, deploying a gunner's seat while chasing a new ghost named Muncher across a small Oklahoma town. If you want to get a better look at Muncher, you won't have to chase him all that far. Sony Pictures has released a couple of new promo images for the movie, one of which features the blue, Slimer-like specter in all his fire-hydrant-guzzling glory.

Our first look at Muncher came back in January in the unlikeliest of places: on an episode of "MasterChef Junior: Spain." These new images come our way via Empire, which has a "Ghostbusters" Celebration issue hitting newsstands on September 30, 2021.

The first image shows the new generation of Ghostbusters, including the bespectacled Phoebe, played by McKenna Grace, along with Trevor ("Stranger Things" star Finn Wolfhard) and Lucky and Podcast (Celeste O'Connor and Logan Kim). Yes, there's a character named Podcast. I'm assuming that's a nickname or code name?

Next up is Muncher, who seems to be unscrewing a fire hydrant. Slimer loved stuffing his face with hot dogs from New York street vendors, and given that Muncher has a similar doughy constitution — not to mention a name that signals the act of, well, munching — it's not hard to imagine that he's just gorged himself on food and now needs a hydrant's worth of water to wash it all down.

Slimer was supposed to be based on John Belushi, but if you saw the "Ghostbusters" episode of "The Movies That Made Us," then you'll know that his designers didn't exactly religiously adhere to those marching orders. The funny thing is, this January also brought news that Muncher would have his own Muncher Madness line of Hostess Twinkies.

The "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" trailer, which we broke down over the summer, puts an emphasis on other junk foods, with Paul Rudd's character, Mr. Grooberson, marveling (as is the wont of Marvel's Ant-Man) as mini Stay Puft marshmallows come to life on the supermarket shelf and make s'mores out of each other.

"Ghostbusters: Afterlife" could very well end up being cinematic junk food, but it's bringing back original cast members Sigourney Weaver, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, and Annie Potts, along with new franchise additions Carrie Coon and director Jason Reitman. It's co-written by Gil Kenan and Reitman, the latter of whom earned Oscar nominations for "Juno" and "Up in the Air," and who also happens to be the son of "Ghostbusters" director Ivan Reitman.

"Ghostbusters: Afterlife" makes its way to theaters on November 19, 2021.