Did Garfield die? “Shock” death explained
Sony Pictures ReleasingAll eyes have been on the most famous cat in the world this year, but possibly now for a worse reason — so, did Garfield actually die?
New movies in 2024 have been coming thick and fast, with one welcome addition the comeback of everyone’s favorite lazy feline, Garfield.
Starring in The Garfield Movie, Chris Pratt’s take on the lasagne lover certainly won kids over, even if it won’t be considered one of the best movies of the year.
However, the story has taken a more sinister turn in the following months. Has Garfield actually died, or is his death just one big internet scandal?
Did Garfield die?
No, Garfield isn’t dead — but it’s easy to see the confusion after a tweet claiming the famous feline had died went viral this week.
On June 5, 2024, an anonymous fan account posing as Garfield’s fictional owner Jon Arbuckle wrote on X/Twitter, “Hi guys, Jon here. Garfield passed away in his sleep last night after eating at an Olive Garden buffet earlier in the night.
“It was sudden and we’re still in shock. I don’t know how this could have happened, but I just didn’t want you guys to be left in the dark. Thank you.”
Unsurprisingly, Garfield fans went into meltdown mode, playing along with Garfield’s pretend death.
“On a Tuesday? And we all thought Mondays were the problem,” one user replied, with a second adding, “They f**king killed Garfield.”
Others weren’t as easily fooled, with one fan writing, “Haha. nice try Jon, Olive Garden doesn’t have buffets.”
It’s unclear what caused the sudden announcement of Garfield’s death, but it is likely to follow the viral success of an earlier tweet the same day, claiming that Cars character Doc Hudson had also died.
“Jon’s” real identity is also unknown, with the GarfieldFanArt handle getting each public detail down to a T, including Garfield’s hometown of Muncie, Indiana. The cryptic profile bio reads, “You know who I am.”
It goes without saying that Garfield didn’t die in The Garfield Movie or any other film and TV iterations of his story — it’s not exactly a plot that will continue to sell theater tickets or cute merch. In fact, The Garfield Movie’s post-credits scene teases a sequel.
In the film, Garfield is reunited with his long-lost father Vic, and is forced to leave his very comfortable life with Harald behind.
Did Garfield die canonically?
Not only did Garfield not die in life or onscreen, but he also didn’t die in the original comics, although the ‘final’ installment did cause confusion among fans.
It’s thought that all versions of Garfield linked to original cartoonist Jim Davis will cease to exist by 2026, but fans initially thought the comic strip ended five years ago. The strip shows a lump — presumably Garfield — asleep in a duvet… until he seems to stop breathing altogether.
“Nobody panic! Garfield isn’t dead! Jim Davis is still making the comic strip! I had a minor panic attack when I first saw this…” one Reddit reaction read at the time.
Another responded, “Hey guys remember that time when Garfield actually f**king died in his sleep? Yeah me neither. Wanna read the Garfield comic for today?”
A similar rumor surfaced in 2006 after a comic strip focusing on Garfield’s loneliness was released, but Davis seemed amused by the idea that fans thought he’d killed Garfield off.
As well as plenty of archived Garfield comics available at the click of a button, current Garfield comics haven’t disappeared altogether, with daily cartoons still released on Instagram.
Find even more amazing new movies streaming and TV shows streaming this month, or dive into the new true crime and documentaries around right now. If that’s not enough, find out what’s in store this year for K-dramas coming to Netflix.