Before Spaceballs 2, Rick Moranis Reprised His Dark Helmet Role In A Beloved Sitcom

Rick Moranis was already a celebrated comedic actor when he made his big-screen debut in 1983's "Strange Brew." After getting his start as a disc jockey in Toronto during the 1970s, he exhibited a gift for improv comedy, which prompted his pal Dave Thomas to ask him to join the cast of the cult-favorite sketch show "SCTV." Moranis was a perfect fit. Not only did he strike up a natural, uproarious chemistry with Thomas in their "Great White North" skits (as beer-swilling, toque-wearing brothers Bob and Doug McKenzie), he proved to be a devastatingly hilarious impressionist. His Woody Allen in the note-perfect parody "Play It Again, Bob" (opposite Thomas as Bob Hope) was spot-on, as was his David Brinkley (particularly when he sparred with Thomas' Walter Cronkite on "Point Counterpoint"). His original characters were amazing as well, with DJ Gerry Todd, a "video technology" enthusiast, becoming one of the show's most reliably funny kooks.

Though "Strange Brew" initially failed to catch on beyond the "SCTV" fan base, Moranis blasted through to the mainstream the following year as accountant Louis Tully in "Ghostbusters." Within two years, he deftly segued from a smarmy music manager in "Streets of Fire" to a hirsute, horn-dog vacationer in "Club Paradise" to the meek caretaker of a person-eating plant in "Little Shop of Horrors." In 1989, Moranis became the unlikely face of a franchise in the surprise blockbuster "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids," and drove Steve Martin up a wall as a pseudo-intellectual power parent in "Parenthood."

Moranis had it in him to be a great dramatic actor, too, but his priorities shifted in 1991 when his wife, Ann Belsky, died of cancer. In 1997, he stepped back from acting. As he told USA Today in 2005, "I'm a single parent and I just found that it was too difficult to manage to raise my kids and to do the traveling involved in making movies. So I took a little bit of a break. And the little bit of a break turned into a longer break, and then I found that I really didn't miss it."

This is why fans were so stoked this week when it was announced that Moranis would be reprising his role of Dark Helmet in the forthcoming sequel to Mel Brooks' "Spaceballs." This will mark his first feature appearance since 1997's "Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves," but it will actually be his third go-round as Dark Helmet. And this is probably news to everyone who doesn't watch the ABC sitcom "The Goldbergs."

Seven years ago, Moranis was persuaded to once again lend his voice to the galactic villain who did battle with the rogue Lone Star (Bill Pullman) in Brooks' beloved spoof. The scene in question arrives at the end of the season 5 episode "Spaceballs," and finds young 1980s kid Adam Goldberg (Sean Giambrone) crossing Schwartz sabers with Moranis' character. During their fight, a copy of "Spaceballs 2: The Search for More Money" falls out of Dark Helmet's cape. The two then pause their duel so that Helmet can pitch Adam on his idea for the sequel (in which he, of course, triumphs).

While Moranis did not don the actual costume for this appearance, it was fun to hear him play the pompous, deeply insecure bad guy once again. Kind of. As /Film's Ethan Anderton noted when the episode aired, Moranis' voice portrayal is somewhat different from the one he gave in 1987. It just doesn't quite sound like Dark Helmet. I'm not suggesting he phoned in his work here, but it's just off enough to make the whole scene feel kinda disappointing.

So while I'm 100% stoked that we'll get to see Moranis back on screen in the "Spaceballs" sequel (actually, it's not confirmed that he'll be on set in the flesh), I hope that this doesn't wind up being one of those nostalgia-trip sequels that should've simply been a cast reunion at a fan convention. We'll have to wait until 2027 to find out.