What was the significance of the old clip of Egon and Janine at the end?

Question

At the close of Ghostbusters: Afterlife, we see an old clip of Janine Melnitz presenting Egon Spengler with a coin. The scene then cuts to a conversation between present-day Janine and Winston Zedmore.

While touching, what was the relevance of the inclusion of this scene from an earlier Ghostbusters movie?

Answer 1

This is actually a good question because these scenes might have many interpretations:

1. New Generation: Many children (customers) have been born since the original Ghostbusters movies were published. For a significant number of these children Ghostbusters: Afterlife might be the first contact point with the Ghostbusters universe, and so they might not know who this character (Janine Melnitz) is and what her relationship with Egon Spengler is / was. So it makes sense to use this deleted scene to explain that Egon and Janine have had some kind of love relationship.

2. Since Janine and Egon have been in love in an awkward way, that scene might signify the "death" of their amorousness. She gave him a coin, and she had one coin. Its symbolism is a bond between both. Now that Egon is gone, the bond is finally broken without having had any "real" impact on their lives. In this context the symbolism might extend to the classical "Don't wait too long!"

3. Sony didn't go through all the trouble that is associated with founding and setting up a new corporation for just one movie. Ghost Corps will probably be the company to create a few new movies set in the Ghostbusters universe. Movies are made to earn money, and when you severe a bond (see 2) that is bound by two coins the resulting symbolism might resemble something like a spring of coins (money). (Also, Janine might be an assistant again, in those new movies, see 1)

4. It was a good transition to Winston Zeddemore who made a lot of money after his encounter with the Ghostbusters. He is seen reopening the old firehouse, telling everyone he'll use the money to revive the Ghostbusters. Again, severing the coin-bond from 2) and 3) might be a symbolism to unleash a new current of money directed towards the re-establishment of the Ghostbusters (incl. the franchise for Sony).

5. Picking up from 4): Winston pays off Egon's debt and makes life easier for his daughter and grandkids. This might be the activation of the luck in the lucky coin Janine gave him.

6. Sum-up: Sony uses Harold Ramis' death to revive the Ghostbusters franchise in order to make lots of coin.