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After a highly panned 1993 live-action remake, Super Mario is finally returning to the big screen for what appears to be a more authentic portrayal of the famous Italian plumber. With a high-profile all-star ensemble, including Chris Pratt from Guardians of the Galaxy, who voices the Nintendo mascot, The Super Mario Bros. Movie will also be a big-budget production from Illumination Entertainment.
A trailer for the highly-anticipated film was recently launched by Nintendo in one of its Nintendo Direct presentations, giving the audience a first glimpse of the stellar voice-cast. The official synopsis for the film states:
“While working underground to fix a water main, Brooklyn plumbers Mario and brother Luigi are transported down a mysterious pipe and wander into a magical new world. But when the brothers are separated, Mario embarks on an epic quest to find Luigi. With the assistance of a Mushroom Kingdom resident Toad and some training from the strong-willed ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom, Princess Peach, Mario taps into his own power.”
The Super Mario Bros. Movie is set to be released in theaters on April 7, 2023. Here's everything you need to know about the film's voice cast and the characters they play.
Meet the voice cast of The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2023 and their characters
1) Chris Pratt as Mario
Known for blockbusters including Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy, the Jurassic World Trilogy, The Tomorrow War, and The Lego Movie, among others, actor Chris Pratt is one of the biggest and most recognizable stars in Hollywood at the moment.
As he has always been in the game, Mario is the titular character in The Super Mario Bros. Movie. The teaser trailer revealed that he will likely be doing precisely what he does in the video game series, which involves taking down the wicked Bowser.
While it's still unclear whether the new film will mimic the plumber's backstory from the 1993 film in having him hail from Brooklyn, the trailer also suggests that he is a misfit. In the trailer, he appears perplexed by his unexpected entrance into the Mushroom Kingdom.
Also, it seems we won't see Pratt aiming for an Italian accent, which is almost certainly a good thing. Instead, he's seen delivering dialogues in his own voice, with a hint of amusing childishness.
2) Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach
Anya Taylor-Joy is the voice actor for Princess Peach, a significant character who is absent from the official teaser trailer. This young celebrity has recently risen to prominence, especially through her roles in big-time hit dramas and movies such as Peaky Blinders, The Queen's Gambit, Last Night in Soho, and The Northman.
Princess Peach, the Mushroom Kingdom's ruler, is frequently captured by Bowser and then rescued by Mario in the Mario games. Although her role is mostly unclear due to the actress' absence in the teaser, fans can hope that in the Super Mario Bros. Movie it will be less like the "damsel in distress" archetype.
3) Charlie Day as Luigi
Horrible Bosses actor Charlie Day voices Mario's brother in the green, Luigi.
Day is best known for his role as Charlie Kelly, a recurring character on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and is also known for his roles in Horrible Bosses, Pacific Rim, and I Want You Back. Day also appeared as a voice actor in The Lego Movie opposite Pratt in a minor part. As a seasoned comic actor, viewers can be assured that Luigi is in excellent hands.
Some say that the "Bro" in Super Mario Bros. stands for Luigi's character and there is no doubt in that. He is the character that the second player controls in many of the Mario multiplayer games. But he's also got his own spin-off series, known as Luigi's Haunted Mansion video game series.
Luigi is only momentarily shown fleeing a foe known as Dry Bones through lava and into a crumbling castle in the teaser trailer, with only one "aah" heard in Day's voice. His role in the film remains quite uncertain.
4) Jack Black as Bowser
Bowser has been Mario's lifelong enemy and ally and, depending on the game, rivals in race karts. The Tortoise Monster is voiced by Jumanji star Jack Black in the film.
Black is probably best known for timeless films such as School of Rock, King Kong, and High Fidelity. But he has recently made a comeback thanks to the Jumanji films and Kung-Fu Panda.
The crux of the teaser clip shows Bowser invading a castle full of penguins with his army of Koopaa (little tortoises), making him the true hero of the teaser. Bowser frequently flips between conquering kingdoms and abducting princesses in the game and will likely do at least one out of the two in the film.
The trailer also reveals that Bowser has a weapon that resembles his own face and lives in a massive rolling lava lake on wheels. Jack Black is famed for his captivating character portrayals, so Bowser's voice in the video sounds unexpectedly unlike him.
5) Keegan-Michael Key as Toad
The Super Mario Bros. Movie teaser shows Toad, voiced by Keegan-Michael Key, as he meets Mario. In addition to his role as the Key in Key & Peele, Keegan-Michael Key also appears in a number of other comedies, including Keanu, Role Models, and The Predator.
As Princess Peach's assistant in the Mario games, Toad is basically simply a talking mushroom, despite his title. He is a member of another mushroom race. Toad also serves as the Mushroom Kingdom's defender, and in the teaser, it appears that's what he's doing when he prevents Mario from touching a mushroom. He'll probably accompany Mario on his quest as a friend.
The remaining cast members for The Super Marios Bros. Movie
The rest of the Super Mario cast includes some popular names in the industry:
- Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong
- Fred Armisen as Cranky Kong
- Kevin Michael Richardson as Kamek
- Sebastian Maniscalco as Spike
- Khary Payton as Penguin King
Meanwhile, the absence of Charles Martinet, a longtime Mario voice actor, has already caused some fans to express dissatisfaction. Martinet does, however, appear in the new film in two significant roles--the first is as the original character Giuseppe, who appears early in the movie, and the second as Luigi's father, who makes an appearance later in the movie.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie hits theaters on April 7, 2023.
