Another name has slipped out of the Ghostbusters casting containment unit, which was shut down yesterday in a perilous move that could’ve been orchestrated by any of the mysterious characters being played by Michael K. Williams, Cecily Strong, or Matt Walsh. (But not Andy Garcia, who in his Paul Feig-elected capacity is too busy making sure he’s not the mayor who gets New York sucked down into the 10th level of hell.) Today, Deadline reports that actor-writer Neil Casey has been cast as the villain in the franchise reboot, setting him in opposition to Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones, the busting of ghosts, and the Ray Parker Jr.-mandated right to “feel good” thanks to said busting.
But which villain from the Ghostbusters universe will the Other Space cast member, former Saturday Night Live writer, and reformed Kroll Show hacktivist play? Let’s just assume he’s playing the equivalent of a previously established adversary stepping on churches in Dr. Peter Venkman’s town, and take a spin at The Wheel Of Baseless Speculation!
Walter Peck
Evidence for: As seen in Casey’s appearance as the Nate Silver of the Veep-verse, Matty Curtis, the actor has a way with self-important blowhards who set themselves up for stinging verbal retorts. Also: He grows a mighty fine red beard.
Evidence against: Per Deadline, “Details of Casey’s character, Rowan, are being kept under wraps,” and Peck preferred to keep all matters related to Ghostbusters out in the open—as in “spectral beings blasted across New York City out in the open.”
Gozer (a.k.a. Gozer the Gozerian, Gozer the Destructor, Volguus Zildrohar, the Traveller)
Evidence for: Hair, we guess?
Evidence against: Citing leaked Sony emails, ScreenCrush suggests that the villain of the new Ghostbusters will not be an inter-dimensional being worshiped by the the Hittites, Mesopotamians, and the Sumerians, but rather an “executed murderer” who, after a lightning storm, gains the power to cause something strange in the neighborhood.
Vigo The Carpathian
Evidence for: The face Casey makes on Broad City when Ilana tries to turn a grocery bag full of receipts and tickets into a tax return.
Evidence against: Well, that whole description from the Sony leaks, but let’s keep playing: Is it really the best idea to resurrect Ghostbusters using the body of Ghostbusters II?
Dr. Janosz Poha
Evidence for: Deadline, again: “He does look a bit like Peter MacNicol.”
Evidence against: They might be on to something there. Has anyone ever heard Neil Casey say the words “A child”?
The dancing toaster from Ghostbusters II
Evidence for: Very little, beyond The A.V. Club’s desire to embed the toaster scene at the end of this Newswire.
Evidence against: Neil Casey is not a toaster.
That’s all the time we have this week on The Wheel Of Baseless Speculation. Next week though: Hairless pets—maybe Neil Casey’s Ghostbusters character has something to do with hairless pets?