Rob Zombie's The Munsters Reboot Adds Original Cast Member Butch Patrick As Tin Can Man

Rob Zombie, you're wild for this one.

"The Munsters" season 1, episode 7 is called "Tin Can Man," and centers on the dilemma of young Eddie Munster (Butch Patrick) who is facing expulsion from school. In a stroke of genius, he and Grandpa Dracula decide that they will build a fully-functional robot for Eddie's science fair project, and create the titular Tin Can Man. As we've learned today, Rob Zombie's anticipated cinematic adaptation of "The Munsters" will feature the ridiculous robot who, in a full circle bit of brilliance, will be played by OG Eddie Munster himself, Butch Patrick. As is typical, Zombie first made the announcement on his Instagram and featured photos of both the Tin Can Man and a behind-the-scenes photo of Zombie and Patrick on set.

"Where's Eddie you ask? Well, I'll tell you!" Zombie wrote. This comment is in regards to the fact that despite Zombie's sprawling cast of characters, he's still yet to reveal who will play Eddie or Marilyn Munster, or even indicate whether or not the characters are involved in the film at all. I sincerely can't imagine that Zombie wouldn't include them, especially with appearances from Tin Can Man and Zombo having already been confirmed, both of which are directly related to the little Munster werewolf boy. 

Butch Patrick joins Pat Priest, who played Marilyn Munster after taking over the role from Beverly Owen, as the two original "Munsters" cast members to appear in Zombie's film.

The inclusion of Butch Patrick and Pat Priest is exciting for longtime fans of "The Munsters" and continues Rob Zombie's time-honored tradition of offering roles to older actors who helped shape the genre so many of us love, long after Hollywood has forgotten about them. Zombie's dedication to casting outside the norm has helped revitalize a number of careers, including Bill Moseley, Sid Haig, and Meg Foster. With the exception of his "Halloween" films, Zombie's filmographies have consistently prioritized horror stories featuring older adults, which until recently, was almost unheard of.

That being said, where are the kids? Marilyn Munster was of high school age and had a "typical" appearance, but Eddie Munster was the elementary school-aged monster kid that made so many other little weirdos feel like they weren't alone in their weirdness. Zombie doesn't often work with children, but it'll be interesting to see how he's approached the characters. The running rumor is that if they're included, the children are being played by big-name actors, which is why he's yet to announce them. 

Admittedly, I'm impatient, and as much as I love all of the amazing treats he's given us on Instagram, it'll be a day of celebration when we finally learn who will be stepping into Butch Patrick's widow's peak and Pat Preist's bobby socks.