There’s one group of ghost hunters that have managed to stay at the forefront of pop culture for over thirty years. With how wildly popular Ghostbusters was and still is, it is genuinely shocking that three movies and an animated series are all that came of it. Until the upcoming Ghostbusters: Afterlife that is.
Less surprising, but disappointing, is that this huge property never had a crossover with another film. At least not in film form. Over the years, the ghost hunters have teamed with the likes of The Ninja Turtles, Mars Attacks, and even Transformers in comic books.
This list is ignoring the comics and instead focusing on 10 characters that would have been great fits on the Ghostbusters team that we see in the original film. That means they need to be capable of hunting paranormal monstrosities and have enough business sense to make a buck doing it.
Sam and Dean Winchester - Supernatural
Those Winchester boys have hunted every type of paranormal being twice over at this point. At first, it seemed like they would be a poor fit for the Ghostbusters universe, but after having a series of lighthearted or just bizarre episodes, including one where they join the Scooby-Doo gang, the idea of them donning the jumpsuits isn’t so outlandish.
A crossover that puts the two onto the team would likely work wonderfully if the two iconic franchises had existed at the same time. The two actors from the show even showed what it could look like in a parody video.
Bill and Ted - Bill And Ted’s Bogus Journey
In the second film starring the two lovable slackers, they are killed and have an adventure with Death himself. The trip includes stops in both Heaven and Hell, giving the boys a very useful understanding of the afterlife.
Having been ghosts themselves and saved the world before, couples with their new knowledge to make them viable help for the busters. Imagining the two teens in full gear trying to understand anything Ray or Egon says is a charming scene that would make the whole team-up worth it.
Tracy The Gorilla - Ghostbusters
Who better to join the squad than someone else with a ghost-hunting experience? How about someone with experience and the right to be called the same name. Ghostbusters was the name of a sitcom about a ghost hunting trio before it was ever a classic comedy film. One member of that trio was an educated gorilla named Kong. There was also a cartoon sequel.
A team-up between the two competing franchises of the same name would be interesting and fun but without any doubt at all the classic Ghostbusters team would be instantly better with a gorilla on the squad.
Indiana Jones - Raiders Of The Lost Ark
Although he would instantly become the most capable member of the team, which may make him overqualified, Jones would fit right in as a ‘buster. He’s a fellow college professor with a knack for looking into the weirder side of things.
He’s even had a few run-ins with the supernatural, including ghosts made up of that 2D CGI that was heavily used in the 80s. The very same that shows up in spades in Ghostbusters. It also helps that a young Harrison Ford would look pretty cool in the ghost hunting suit and gear.
Luigi - Luigi’s Mansion Series
An unconventional choice, but this plumber turned ghost-catcher has proven three times now that he’s as capable as they come when dealing with nasty spirits. While he may not be used to the human world, able to speak English, or inherently brave, Luigi thrives under the pressure of being captured (or worse) by ghosts.
Luigi would prove all of his doubters wrong in his first ghostly encounter when the busters run scared from a ghost librarian and he proceeds to grab her with his vacuum and slams her through her own bookshelves.
Beetlejuice
This poltergeist is unconventional, crude, and often times disgusting, but you can’t say he doesn’t get results. The raunchy spirit would likely be a useful ally in any kind of head to head battle with demons or ghosts. If the price was right, or the villain was bad enough, it wouldn’t be too crazy to think that Beetlejuice might team with the busters.
Of course, when given the opportunity, he would likely betray the team and become their enemy, but that would be just as good a movie. Seeing the squad take on the titular spirit would be just as fun as watching them team-up, so it’s a win-win.
Casper
The friendly specter could be the perfect inside man for the busters. They would have a ghost on their side that they know they can trust. A ghost a little more put together than Slimer, that is. Casper would be able to communicate for the human hunters and is not as useless in a fight as he looks.
Plus, if a short cameo in Casper by Dan Akroyd’s character Ray Stantz is to be taken as fact, then the two films already take place in the same film universe, so a crossover isn’t that crazy of an idea.
Agent J - Men In Black
Will Smith’s famous alien hunter picked up on tracking and catches loose aliens in a manner of days. He’d be a natural fit for busting ghosts. The charismatic agent with an affection for high tech weaponry would be able to hang with the rest of the team both with their proton packs and in quips, both of which appear to be equally important to be an efficient buster.
If this team-up sounds like the best thing ever and you have to experience it right now, you’re in luck. While a film crossover is unlikely to ever exist, just last year a limited comic run teamed the Ghostbusters with the original Men in Black team.
Frank Bannister - The Frighteners
Peter Jackson’s horror-comedy follows a down on his luck paranormal psychic who can see and communicate with the undead. By the end of the film, Bannister is as competent a medium as they come, and could easily carry his weight on the spirit battling team.
What truly makes Bannister the perfect choice for the team is his business sense. In his movie, he sends ghosts he befriends to haunt people, then he charges them a fee to exorcise the spirit. That’s the exact type of person that would work well on a team of scientists who discover proof of the afterlife, then immediately turn it into a business.
Doc Brown - Back To The Future
The brilliant but eccentric scientist that managed to invent time travel would be a good hand to have in the battle against the paranormal. Considering his knack for gadgetry and thinking on his feet, Brown would surely have a lot to offer when given the immense technological resources of the busters.
Let him bring his right-hand man and time-traveling companion Marty McFly and this team just became unbeatable. Not to mention the Ghostbusters traveling through time to hunt historical ghosts is an idea that screams money.
