Summary
- Princess Peach has a new voice actor in Mario Kart World, signaling the end of an era for the character.
- Nintendo notified Kelly that she was being replaced the day of Mario Kart World's launch.
- Kelly was also the longtime actor for Toad.
Mario Kart World marks the end of an era for Princess Peach, as the beloved character now has a new voice actor. Mario Kart World is the Nintendo Switch 2's biggest launch title. An open-world twist on the tried-and-true Mario Kart formula, Mario Kart World features a stacked roster of fan-favorite characters from the Super Mario franchise.
Mario Kart World has unexpected racers like a cow, a penguin, and various other critters, but it also features franchise mainstays. Mario, Luigi, Wario, Bowser, Donkey Kong, and, of course, Princess Peach are all available in the new game. However, the version of Princess Peach in Mario Kart World may sound a little different compared to past iterations of the character.
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It's come to light that Nintendo has replaced Samantha Kelly, the longtime voice actor for Peach since 2007. Kelly was notified by Nintendo on the day of Mario Kart World's launch that it had decided to recast the role of Princess Peach. Notably, Kelly has also been voicing Toad for nearly two decades as well, but he has also been cast in the new game. The new voice actors for Peach and Toad in Mario Kart World and the franchise moving forward have not been revealed.
Mario Kart World Has Replaced Princess Peach and Toad's Voice Actor
Kelly is not the only longtime Super Mario series actor to be replaced by Nintendo. Longtime Mario actor Charles Martinet was replaced with the release of Super Mario Bros. Wonder, in a move that came as a surprise and a shock to fans. Nintendo has not elaborated as to why it has decided to recast these roles. Martinet has remained involved with the Super Mario franchise through a cameo in The Super Mario Bros. Movie and by working as an ambassador for the brand.
Fans of the Super Mario franchise will likely be sad to learn that Kelly has been replaced in Mario Kart World, and they may be curious to learn who is now voicing Peach and Toad. It's unclear when or if Nintendo will divulge that information. For some reason, the new voice actors are not listed in Mario Kart World's credits. Even though Mario Kart World is an open-world game with lots of do, players have already seen the credits because they pop up after finishing all the Grand Prix cups.
Replacing the voice actor for Peach and Toad isn't the only controversy that has hit Mario Kart World. There has also been some disappointment expressed online about the lack of split-screen in Mario Kart World's free roam mode. Other than that, though, it does seem most fans are enjoying the game.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 87 /100 Critics Rec: 97%
- Released
- June 5, 2025
- ESRB
- Everyone // Mild Fantasy Violence, Users Interact
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Racing, Open-World
