The Super Mario Bros. Movie was one of the biggest box office hits of 2023, and according to Deadline, it was the most profitable blockbuster of that year, even beating out domestic and worldwide box office champion Barbie.
Despite the classic video game being adapted into a live-action feature film in 1993, The Super Mario Bros. Movie was the film version of the game that fans had spent their whole lives waiting for. The movie perfectly captured the spirit of the video game, taking the classic story of Mario and Luigi going into the Mushroom Kingdom to battle Bowser.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2
- Studio(s)
- Universal Pictures , Illumination , Nintendo
- Distributor(s)
- Universal Pictures
The film was filled with many beloved characters from the games, from well-known names like Princess Peach and Donkey Kong to even the obscure Foreman Spike. Fans even caught a glimpse of King Boo in the background. Yet the film did not feature every major character from the Mario video games, leaving fans excited about who could appear in a sequel.
With the official announcement that The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2 would be arriving in theaters on April 3, 2026, here are ten characters that did not appear in the first film but could (and should) appear in the sequel.
10 Professor E. Gadd
Professor E. Gadd, full name Elvin Gadd, is a friendly gadget-inventing scientist who first appeared in Luigi's Mansion. His best-known creation is the vacuum that allows Luigi to suck up ghosts and, while not appearing in the game, is hinted at being the creator of Mario's Flash Liquidizer Ultra Dousing Device (FLUDD) from Super Mario Sunshine. He is a kind, if at times absent-minded, mad scientist figure.
Luigi's Mansion Set Up
The Super Mario Bros. Movie featured a few nods to Luigi's Mansion, as when Luigi landed in the Mushroom Kingdom, he was chased into an old abandoned house very similar to the mansion.
With King Boo also appearing as a background character at Bowser's planned wedding for Peach, the seeds have been planted for the sequel to bring in many elements from the popular video game into the feature film.
Luigi voice actor Charlie Day has expressed interest in a Luigi's Mansion spin-off film and E. Gadd could make for a wonderful supporting character.
9 Toadette
Toadette first appeared in Super Mario Double Dash in 2003 as a partner character for Toad due to the game's mechanics of needing to have pairs of riders. With Mario and Luigi having Princess Peach and Princess Daisy, respectively, it made sense for Nintendo to give Toad a female counterpart.
Since then, Toadette has become a fan favorite, with her bright pink colors and pigtails being very popular among young kids.
Cut from the First Film
Toadette was originally supposed to appear in The Super Mario Bros. Movie but was cut from the film, yet a hint of her can be seen on a banner in the Mushroom Kingdom.
Adding her to the sequel makes a certain amount of sense, as she would match the bright, vibrant color palette of characters that Illumination Entertainment loves to do, but also possibly add more dimension for Toad.
Toad in the first film is a loyal, brave companion to Mario and Peach, but outside of that wasn't given much to do. Toadette could be either a friend or even a fun rival for Toad.
8 The Koopalings
The Koopalings were the main villains of Super Mario Bros. 3, with each member of the group being a boss for a major level until Bowser. The seven Koopalings, sometimes known as the Koopa Gang, are named Larry, Morton, Wendy, Iggy, Roy, Lemmy, and Ludwig.
Fun fact: all of them are named after famous musicians. While originally depicted as Boswer's children, later games have established Boswer Jr. as his only kids, with the Koopalings being a separate group that works for the Bowser family, similar to high-ranking generals.
A Colorful Cast of Characters
With seven distinct characters, Illumination Entertainment has the chance to have some real fun when it comes to casting their voices. The seven characters are featured in the Universal Studios Hollywood and Japan ride Mario Kart: Bowswer's Challenge, so there is a clear-vested interest in these characters from both Nintendo and Universal Pictures.
Seven new villains for the sequel is a strong pitch for audiences and could allow the creators to adapt many elements from Super Mario Bros. 3.
7 Bowser Jr.
Bowser Jr. first appeared in 2002's Super Mario Sunshine and is now Bowser's only child. Often referred to as Junior, the character has appeared in Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Odyess as a supporting antagonist to Bowser.
He also helps give a new dimension to the classic Nintendo villain as a dad who wants to do semi-right by his kid. He is also part of the Mario franchise's grand tradition of introducing "baby" versions of characters, like Baby Mario and Luigi.
Developing Bowser
One of the biggest surprises of The Super Mario Bros. Movie was Jack Black's depiction of Bowser. The villain was reimagined as a love-sick puppy dog obsessed with Princess Peach, who looked to do whatever it took to win her hand, even if it was by force.
Bringing Bowser Jr. to the film could help develop Bowser's character, wanting to give a family for his son, and also provide for a great buddy duo act between Jack Black and whatever voice actor is brought in for Bowser Jr.
6 Birdo
Birdo first appeared as a villain in Super Mario Bros. 2 and was largely forgotten about until she appeared in Mario Tennis 64, as they needed a double partner for Yoshi.
She then appeared in Super Mario Kart: Double Dash and has been seen a major supporting character in the franchise. Birdo, the pink dinosaur with a snout that shoots egg projectiles and wears a diamond ring, is also notable as she is often seen as one of the first transgender characters in video games.
Trans Representation
When the Japanese manual of Super Mario Bros. 2 was translated to English, says Birdo has a passage that states "he thinks he is a girl" and would "rather be called 'Birdetta.'" While most games since have omitted this piece of history, making Birdo a cisgender woman, it is an important part of the character's history.
Birdo has been seen as a positive representation of trans identity, particularly in how nobody seemed to care about this detail of the character when she first appeared, while other transgender writers have criticized the character as a joke about trans identity.
This is a delicate tightrope to walk, but if Nintendo and Illumination embraced Birdo as a trans character, it would be a big step for animated films.
5 Waluigi
Waluigi, the internet's favorite character who, to quote Rodney Dangerfield, gets no respect. The dark counterpart to Luigi and the ally of Wario, Waluigi was created for Mario Tennis 64 so that Wario would have a partner for doubles matches.
Since then, he has gone on to have a cult following among Nintendo fans, being the subject of memes, and is now seen as the Nintendo underdog.
Fans are still waiting to see him be added to Super Smash Bros. as a main fighter, so it would be pretty funny if he made it into the films first.
Big Name Villain
While Bowser Jr. and The Koopalings would be strong villains to add to The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2, they might be a bit repetitive following Bowser. Waluigi, on the other hand, is a big enough name to draw the audience's attention as a new type of villain, as well as a chance to develop Luigi more as a character when compared to his relationship with his dark side counterpart.
4 Rosalina
Rosalina, a cosmic guardian who is the adopted mother of the star species Lumas, was introduced in Super Mario Galaxy. While a relatively new character, she has become a fan-favorite and has appeared in a number of other games, including Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
The character has a rich depth of lore and mythology, one that would certainly expand the Mario film franchise. In fact, they might have already set her up in a number of ways through the first movie.
Lumalee Hinted at Her Arrival
One of the breakout characters of The Super Mario Bros. Movie was the nihilistic Lumalee trapped in Bowswer's castle. In Super Mario Galaxy, Lumalee's are shops where characters could buy items.
Combine that with Peach's line about "other galaxies," and it appeared that the Super Mario Bros. Movie wanted to let audiences know that elements from Super Mario Galaxy would be making their way in future films, with Rosalina and her Luma's possibly appearing in the sequel and setting up a cosmic adventure.
3 Wario
Wario originally began as a villain in the Mario franchise, introduced in 1992's Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins as a greedy treasure hunter who was a dark inverse of Mario.
While he still is an antagonist in various Mario games, he has gone on to have a life of his own, leading his own spin-off series that has imagined him as an anti-hero. With his own version of Luigi in Waluigi, Wario is a character with plenty of rich potential that the films would be wise not to ignore.
The Next Big Bad
Next to Bowser, the most popular Mario villain is Wario. He is so popular that pretty much since the announcement of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, everyone assumed that whenever a sequel would come Wario would have to be included.
Danny DeVito, who stars alongside Luigi voice actor Charlie Day on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, has expressed interest in voicing the character.
2 Princess Daisy
Princess Peach is the most popular princess in the Mario franchise, but following close is Princess Daisy. Originally from Super Mario Bros. 2, the character has since gone on to be a major supporting character in the franchise as both the best friend of Peach and the romantic interest of Luigi.
Daisy actually appeared in the live-action Super Mario Bros. Movie in 1993, played by Samantha Mathis, in a drastically reimagined role.
One of the Most Popular Characters
Princess Daisy's inclusion in the sequel just makes sense from a storytelling perspective. She is the princess of her own kingdom, which could expand the world in terms of new locals for the heroes to visit. She provides a great chance to develop Luigi more after his role was largely reduced in the first film.
She is also one of the biggest characters in the franchise not in the first movie, so her inclusion would be a big deal. In terms of casting, we've got a few ideas for who could play Princess Daisy.
1 Yoshi
It just has to be Yoshi. The lovable green dinosaur was first introduced in the 1990s Super Mario World and since then has been an integral part of the Mario Bros. franchise. He has appeared alongside the iconic plumber across Mario Karts, various sports games, and Smash Bros. he even got his spin-off game series.
Yoshi is one of Nintendo's most popular characters so his omission from the first film surprised many fans, but it was clear they wanted to save something big for the sequel.
Mid-Credit Surprise
While a herd of Yoshi's was seen in the background of one shot, notably, none of them were green. A Yoshi egg did appear as a gift at Bowser's wedding, but it at first just seemed like a fun Easter egg. That was until the film's mid-credit scene, where the egg was seen in the sewers of New York.
The egg began to crack before cutting to black, and fans heard the character's signature noise, setting him up for a big role in the sequel. Yoshi's inclusion in The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2 is the only sure thing, and with the character being so popular and iconic, we wouldn't be surprised if he got his own spin-off film.
Comments
Post a Comment