Finding Nemo fans, rejoice: though we had to wait forever for Finding Dory, the good news is that a slew of original characters will be in the upcoming sequel. While Marlin and Nemo are certainly worth a warm welcome back, I am psyched for the return of Crush in Finding Dory. The surfer-dude turtle, voiced by director Andrew Stanton, offered a welcome moment of chill during the first movie, and he's about to do the same in Finding Dory, providing guidance to the heroine as she tries to find her family. Yeah, Crush is back for this sequel, and he's up to his mellow antics yet again.

Although it wasn't a guarantee that Crush would make a return, or be in the series at all. When the character first came to surface, Stanton was just filling in while other actors recorded for Finding Nemo. In what's called a "scratch take," the director had also subbed in for Woody during the production of Toy Story. As Stanton told Creative Loafing ,

"I looked for a long time for someone to do Crush, but hadn't picked anyone. Then there was a test screening and Crush got a great reaction, so everyone said 'You're staying in.'"

The character wound up being a favorite part of the first film, making its director an accidental star.

Jag Gundu/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

Personally, I appreciate the way Crush radically welcomes Dory and Marlin into his pack and helps them without expecting anything in return. He's just doing his own thing and hanging out with other turtles. This character is so relaxed that Stanton actually recorded his voice while laying a couch, according to Mental Floss. He's the perfect foil to Albert Brooks' stressed-out Marlin and shows off some seriously supportive parenting skills in the first movie. In Finding Dory, Crush once again rides the waves with Marlin, causing the clownfish some nautical nausea. The clip below confirms two different things: 1. Crush plays a significant part in Finding Dory, and 2. the movie takes place out in the Pacific, making it a sequel with warmer waters and, hopefully, warm reception. Here's a sneak peak.

Righteous.

Image: Pixar