Walter (Muppet)

Walter is a Muppet character performed by Peter Linz. A character created for the 2011 film The Muppets in which he is one of the main protagonists, he has become a frequently-featured character in subsequent Muppet works, including the 2014 film sequel Muppets Most Wanted. In his original film appearance, Walter, a lifelong fan of The Muppet Show, is a Muppet who was raised alongside his human older brother Gary, and comes to question his life goals after he is offered to join The Muppet Show; the Academy Award-winning song "Man or Muppet" is notably centered on Walter and Gary questioning their identities and how they belong to both humankind and muppetkind. The character was received positively by most critics and fans upon his debut, with praise for his storyline in The Muppets. Screen Rant's Ben Kendrick wrote, "Even Walter, despite being the new Muppet on the block, holds his own alongside his non-human friends, and will no doubt be a fan-favorite for years to come." E! referred to the addition of Walter as "an inspired choice". Betsy Sharkey of the Los Angeles Times said that Walter "is adorably insecure and a good addition to the house that Jim Henson built, which included so many iconic characters."