| “ | I call myself Podcast because of my podcast. | „ |
| ~ Podcast in regard to his name |
Podcast is a major character in the 2021 film Ghostbusters: Afterlife and its 2024 sequel Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. He is Phoebe Spengler's best friend, and a member of a new Ghostbusters team under her temporary leadership. He gets his name because of his podcast "Mystical Tales of the Unknown Universe", which, according to him, really finds its voice on Episode 46.
Background
Personality
Podcast is a firm believer in the supernatural, having lived in Summerville, stating that the town has more dead than living residents. He is shown to be very tactical and resourceful at times; one such time is when he releases Muncher from the Ghost Trap in order to retrieve the confiscated Ghostbusters gear from the police station.
He has also proven to have a unique sense of humor in that he finds Phoebe's jokes, which aren't all that funny to most, hilarious. Of course, he is very humorous himself. He is something of a conspiracy theorist, as shown when he speculates that Egon was murdered as opposed to dying of a heart attack.
Podcast is at times a little impulsive and overly excited. An example is when he tries using his Aztec Death Whistle against Muncher, to no effect aside from causing Muncher to attack him and Phoebe.
Physical Appearance
Podcast is a slender young man with fair skin, black hair with a short unruly or messy style, and brown eyes.
He mostly wears short-sleeve shirts and shorts, often with a vest, but after becoming a Ghostbuster in Ghostbusters: Afterlife, he inscribes his name on his flight suit, though in the ending scene for Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, his suit is shown to have a proper name tag.
Powers and Abilities
- Intelligence
- Problem-solving skills
- Resourcefulness
Appearances
Films
Ghostbusters: Afterlife
Phoebe and Podcast first meet during a summer science class taught by seismologist Gary Grooberson, where he paints her as an outcast rejected by her peers, then assumes that she's on the run from herself and that she is trying to solve the mystery behind her grandfather's death, to which Phoebe states it was simply a heart attack, prompting him to identify it as the silent killer. They then introduce themselves.
Taking a walk through town after school, Podcast tells Phoebe some interesting information about Summerville, but is astonished when she tells him she doesn't believe in ghosts. He then takes her to the Shandor Mining Company, which had been closed since the 1940s, explaining that Summerville began as a mining operation, until the mine was closed down because of miners leaping down the mine shaft to their death, an event called "The Shandorian Curse", as he reveals ancient carvings on the mountain, which recently appeared inexplicably.
Accompanying Phoebe home, Podcast tells her that his podcasts are mostly about mysteries, the unknown, conspiracy theories, and restaurant reviews, before giving her a My Little Pony flash drive containing his episodes and asks if she would like to be his lab partner, which she thinks is odd, but agrees. He then records her as she returns to her house, should her body be torn apart by an unseen dark force. The next day at school, Podcast attempts to open a Ghost Trap Phoebe found hidden under the floor in her living room, which gets the attention of Gary, who mistakenly assumes it's a replica, then shares the events of 1984. Podcast suggests opening the trap to see if it still works. Taking it the parking lot to test it, Gary, Podcast, and Phoebe inadvertently release the spirit of Vinz Clortho. Returning Phoebe home, Podcast finds an Aztec Death Whistle, which Gary recognizes and tells him that it wards off evil spirits, but makes a horrifying sound; Podcast tests it out, causing Phoebe to cover her ears. As Gary takes a romantic interest in Phoebe's mom Callie, she and Podcast go up to her room, where he looks through Tobin's Spirit Guide, which talks about Gozer, the Keymaster, and the Gatekeeper.
When Phoebe finds a Proton Pack, similar to the one her grandfather once had, she and Podcast go to the Summerville Foundry to try it out. It is there that they encounter an actual ghost, a blue metal-eating spectre named Muncher. Podcast attempts to repel him with the Aztec Death Whistle, which, instead of repelling Muncher, causes him to spew metal projectiles at them. Phoebe manages to snag him with the Proton stream, but escapes before Podcast has a chance to get the trap in place. The two then chase Muncher and manage to catch him with the help of Phoebe's older brother, Trevor. However, they are arrested for driving without a license and causing property damage. While in jail, Trevor mentions hearing the name "Gozer" when he, Lucky Domingo, and her friends went up to the mountain. The following day, Phoebe, Lucky, Trevor, and Podcast meet at Spinners Roller Hop, where Podcast and Phoebe share what they know about Gozer, while Lucky reveals that Ivo Shandor built the entire town. The four then go to investigate the old Shandor mine, where they find a Gozerian temple, along with the corpse of Ivo Shandor. Phoebe comes across numerous years including 1883, 1908, 1945, 1984, 2021, and 2134, and concludes that Egon anticpated Gozer would one day return, and he gave up everyone and everything he cared about, and states that Callie must know about this.
Upon returning to the farmhouse, Phoebe, Trevor, Podcast, and Lucky discover that Callie has been possessed by Zuul. Podcast attempts to get a closer look at the demonic look in her eyes when she suddenly snarls at him and asks if he's the Keymaster, making him feel uncomfortable. Shortly after Callie jumps out the window and takes off, Phoebe goes outside and sees another clue Egon left: the word "Dirt" written on the barn; she discovers numerous ghost traps hidden in the dirt. The quartet descends into the underground lab, where they suit up and concoct a plan to lure Gozer to the field. Going to the police station, Trevor and Lucky locate the Ecto-1 Cadillac, while Phoebe and Podcast find the Remote Trap vehicle, controller, Proton Pack, and Ecto Goggles inside a cell secured with an ANSI Class One electromagnetic deadbolt. Podcast releases Muncher from the trap; he immediately proceeds to eat through the bars, creating a big hole that he squeezes through before flying up through the ceiling, allowing Podcast and Phoebe to retrieve their equipment. Phoebe, Trevor, and Podcast head for the Shandor mine while Lucky goes to the farmhouse.
While Phoebe distracts Gozer with her jokes, Podcast steers the trap under Zuul and manages to free Callie, weakening Gozer, after which, Phoebe, Callie, Trevor, and Podcast drive back to the farm, with Vinz Clortho (actually Gary Grooberson) in pursuit. Gozer follows them to the farm, where Lucky attempts to ensnare him with her Proton Pack, with Trevor's help. Unfortunately, Mini-Pufts (miniature Marshmallow men) are tampering with his Proton Pack, with Podcast finding one under his cuff, much to his horror, allowing Gozer to pull Lucky towards him; she is then possessed by Zuul after Gozer frees her from the trap. Fortunately, the three original Ghostbusters, Ray Stantz, Peter Venkman, and Winston Zeddemore, turn up and engage Gozer in battle, with Phoebe (guided by Egon's ghost) joining in. With the power supply working again, Podcast uses the P.K.E. Meter to taze the Mini-Pufts into oblivion, getting himself covered in marshmallow residue, while Trevor aims at the capacitors; Callie immediately goes to activate the traps, trapping Gozer, Zuul, Vinz, and all the ghosts. With the battle won, Ray commends Podcast for defeating Gozer, and Podcast invites Ray to be on his podcast "Mystical Tales of the Unknown Universe", surprising Ray, who reveals he is Podcast's subscriber, to his surprise.
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
Callie, Gary, Phoebe, and Trevor move to New York City, but still keep in touch with Lucky and Podcast, with Podcast trading texts with Phoebe, eventually going to New York, under the guise that he's going to Space Camp, where he rents out the basement of Ray's Occult Books, becoming his producer/intern and making an online show called "Repossessed", where everyday objects are judged if they are haunted or ordinary; if they are ordinary, Podcast destroys them with his "Hammer of Truth". When Phoebe brings a sample of mood slime to Ray, Podcast shows her his quarters in the basement, and reveals that Ray brought some of the Mini-Pufts from Summerville, smashing one with a shoe.
Ray is given a mysterious orb called the Orb of Garraka, which he and Podcast bring to Lars Pinfield at the Paranormal Research Center, returning later to find out what he's uncovered. A ghost called the Possessor hides in Podcast's audiovisual gear. While Callie, Trevor, and Gary go out without Phoebe, she gets a call from Melody Diner, and she and Podcast go there, with Podcast comparing the two of them to Batman and Robin, encountering a ghost named Melody, and attempt to catch her, but she escapes. When Podcast discovers an audio recording of the orb on his phone, he shows it to Ray, who hints that he knows someone who may understand the "dead language" Podcast heard: Dr. Hubert Wartzki. Phoebe accompanies them to the New York City Public Library to meet with him. After joking around and playing the recording for him, he reveals Garraka's origin to the three and plays a wax cylinder recording of the chant to free Garraka. Possessor steals the cylinder and takes control of a trash bag to escape. Podcast, Phoebe, and Ray chase after it as Possessor possessess the Patience the Lion statue, forcing Phoebe to destroy it, along with the cylinder, getting the three of them arrested, and giving Walter Peck reason to shut down the Ghostbusters.
In an effort to help Nadeem Razmaadi regain his confidence, Podcast coaches him into guiding the flame from a lighter to an unlit candle. With some difficulty, he manages to get the hang of it and helps protect Trevor when Possessor takes control of Lucky's Proton Pack and attacks him by redirecting the stream before Podcast destroys the Pack with his hammer. He and everyone else are frozen by Garraka until Melody lends her flame to Nadeem, enabling him to blast Garraka and unfreeze the others. Phoebe engages Garraka, aided by Trevor, Callie, and Gary, while Podcast attempts to catch Garraka with the Drone Trap, despite interference from the Mini-Pufts, to no avail. After Garraka is trapped inside the Containment Unit, Podcast, along with the rest of the Ghostbusters, are commended as heroes. During the celebration, a girl kisses Podcast and takes a selfie with him, much to his amazement.
Games
Ghostbusters: Afterlife ScARe
Ghostbusters: Rise of the Ghost Lord
Relationships
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Gallery
Trivia
- Podcast's real name is never revealed in the films; it was originally in the script, but was later removed to keep it a mystery. Logan Kim, who portrays Podcast, is the only one who knows what it is, but has sworn not to reveal it.
External Links
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