A minute-long teaser from the upcoming Ghostbusters: Afterlife film was released on Wednesday, which immediately went viral on social media due to the introduction of the miniature form of the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man. While Paul Rudd’s character, Mr. Grooberson, went up against several mini-versions of Mr. Stay-Puft, the internet compared the cute characters to another wildly popular figure, Star Wars fan favorite Baby Yoda.
Grogu, who appears in Disney Plus’s The Mandalorian, became one of the most popular Star Wars characters on television since his first appearance on the show. As soon as fans got to see his big ears, glassy eyes, and tiny head popping out of his floating crib, the internet went crazy. Baby Yoda was labeled the cutest character ever created, and based on one viral comic strip on Twitter, the miniature Stay-Pufts are no match for him.
Author and comic book creator Francesco Francavilla, who has created covers for several Marvel and DC comic books, shared a comic strip featuring both the mini Stay-Puft and Baby Yoda on his official Twitter page. The strip, consisting of just three panels, showcases the scene from the Ghostbuster: Afterlife teaser that introduces a tiny version of Mr. Stay-Puft as it first emerges from a bag of marshmallows. While the creature smiles at the camera and looks on innocently, a green hand appears and seems to be grabbing its head. Cut to panel three, where Baby Yoda is seen eliminating his competition, quite literally, as he eats the tiny marshmallow man.Â
Ever since his first introduction, Grogu has been the subject of several memes on social media, with his popularity only increasing as the Star Wars show progressed. However, adorable characters on television and in movies have been quite popular in the past, too. Characters such as Baby Groot, the Minions, and Rotta the Huttlet, another Star Wars member who is introduced as Jabba's infant son, have been appreciated by fans over the years. The mini Stay-Pufts are only the latest characters to join the race, which has been going on for generations.Â
The Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man has been a part of the Ghostbusters franchise since first appearing in the 1984 film when the main antagonist Gozer creates it to fight the ghost-busting team. Though it acted like a foe, fans immediately fell in love with the marshmallow monster. As he climbed skyscrapers and stomped on cars, he never lost his cheery smile, which left fans feeling amused.
Even though its role was short-lived, with the ghostbusters quickly turning it into a pile of marshmallow goo, the return of the character in a miniature form was bound to catch the attention of the fans. With Ghostbusters: Afterlife expected to release later this year, the fight between team Grogu and team mini Stay-Pufts might continue over the coming months, and it will be interesting to see who would be victorious in retaining the title of the cutest character in pop culture.Â
Ghostbusters: Afterlife is planned for release on November 11, 2021, and the Star Wars saga is now available on Disney Plus.
Source: Francesco Francavilla/Twitter