Ghostbusters: Afterlife reacquainted fans of the 1984 hit movie Ghostbusters with not only its titular heroes but also the franchise’s original villain in the form of Gozer the Gozerian. Reports prior to the movie’s arrival in cinemas last month suggested that the character of Gozer would be portrayed in the new movie by House actress Olivia Wilde, and anyone who has seen the movie would be hard-pressed not to recognize the actress in the climactic scenes of the film as the demon faces off with her old adversaries. Yet when the credits roll, the role is listed as being played by Emma Portner, with a voice by Shohreh Aghdashloo, which seemed to defy what was clear for everyone to see.

Now a new behind-the-scenes image has finally confirmed beyond doubt what everyone knew, that Olivia Wilde did play the embodiment of Gozer in the new addition to the Ghostbusters legacy. So why is her role credited to someone else in the movie? Well, it seems that while Gozer has her physical manifestation, just like in the original Ghostbusters when she was played by model Slavitza Jovan, the CGI-created spirit form of the Sumerian god was portrayed by Canadian choreographer and dancer Emma Portner through motion capture.

It is unclear why Wilde would want to go uncredited having taken on one of the most iconic characters in Ghostbusters lore is unknown, especially after all of the work that seems to have gone into turning her into Gozer with some of the same practical effects that were used in the original movie, leading to hours in the make-up chair beforehand. The post shared by one of the make-up crew shows the actress in her full bodysuit and make-up, and the caption reads:

“Sumarian.. not Babylonian.. big difference”. “Gozer” make-up.

What an honor it was with @oliviawilde being a absolute badass in 5.5 hrs of makeup. Thank you for your patience and amazing performance..”

Wilde is not the only cameo in the movie, as eagle-eyed movie fans were also quick to pick out Spider-Man: No Way Home and Justice League star J.K. Simmons playing the role of Ivo Shandor, the architect who has been discussed since he was mentioned as the creator the “Spook Central” apartment block where the first battle against Gozer took place. In addition, the vocal stylings of the movie’s “Slimer” replacement Muncher were provided by none other than Josh Gad.

While some critics were quick to tear down the amount of references and fan-service moments in the latest, long overdue sequel to 1989’s Ghostbusters II, fans have proved that it is exactly the kind of indulgence the film needed as its base. The movie very quickly became one of the small number of 2021 releases to have surpassed the $100 million mark domestically, which in the currently uncertain cinematic climate is a huge achievement in itself.

For those who have not yet seen the return of the original Ghostbusters to the big screen, Ghostbusters: Afterlife is still playing in theaters now.