In the new Ghostbusters: Afterlife trailer, Dan Aykroyd's Ray reveals a brand new tattoo on his forearm that has a big link to the original movie. Ray Stantz appears at the end of the Afterlife trailer, back in his New York Occult Books store, which he opened in the wake of the events of 1984's Ghostbusters. And while his "we're closed" line fits with the idea that the original Ghostbusters have moved on, his new tattoo suggests otherwise.
Ray was the heart of Ghostbusters '84 - along with Harold Ramis' Egon Spengler - because his interest in the paranormal was what united the crew in the first place. For him, the obsession was a lot deeper than the cynicism of Bill Murray's Venkman or the diligent duty of Winston Zeddimore (who came in for the pay-check initially), and even than the scientific fascination of Egon. Ray lived the Occult and his return to that NY book store suggests he's holding onto his past more firmly. So too does the tattoo on his arm, which director Jason Reitman confirmed in his Afterlife trailer breakdown is a reference to "this conversation that Winston and STantz have in Ecto-1 right at the height of the 84 film.”
Reitman also said that the tattoo was added as a mark of recognition of the events of 1984, which makes sense given Ray's loaded ties to being a Ghostbuster and the paranormal. In terms of what the tattoo specifically says, the conversation in Ecto-1 centers on biblical verse Revelations 7:12, as Winston and Ray discuss portents of the apocalypse:
Ray: And I looked, as he opened the Sixth Seal and behold there was a great earthquake, and the sun became as black as sackcloth and the moon became as blood.
Winston: And the seas boiled and skies fell.
Quite which part of the verse will be on Ray's forearm is unclear, but "And the sun became as black as sackcloth and the moon became as blood. And the seas boiled and skies fell" does have a great ring to it.
Given the strong hints of original Ghostbusters villain Gozer's return in Afterlife, calling back to the signs of the Gozerian's apocalypse is important, particularly as it fits with Paul Rudd's established part in the sequel. The trailer shows him monitoring mysterious and scientifically illogical Earthquakes under Somerville, one of the signs of the coming end of days as mentioned in the conversation that Ray's tattoo. The other indicators - like the dead rising to walk to Earth once more - are already also confirmed thanks to the trailer.
Ray's decision to permanently mark his body to commemorate what happened in New York makes sense: not only is he invested, as already discussed, but that moment (and the second major event 5 years later) marked the high point in his career and a validation of everything he believed. It was his own personal peak, when the bonds between a group of colleagues were tightened by adversity and unspeakable horrors. In hindsight, the only tattoo that would make more sense for Ray to be sporting in Ghostbusters: Afterlife is probably "when someone asks you if you are a god, you say yes!"
