The Super Mario franchise was unbelievably popular in the 80s and 90s, which led to Super Mario Bros., the 1993 live-action adaptation. Needless to say, that particular film doesn’t have a good reputation as a video game adaptation now, even though fans are still out there. This scared Nintendo away from movies for decades until Illumination put out The Super Mario Bros. Movie in 2023.
It did very well at the box office and was reviewed better than the live-action movie at the very least. Still, many fans think it could have been better. So, with the announcement of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, now is the time to see how Illumination could improve upon their original formula in the sequel.
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There will be spoilers for The Super Mario Bros. Movie.
Don’t Make Bowser And Mario Team Up
It’s Not Time Yet
It’s incredible that the next Mario movie is based on Super Mario Galaxy, which took a while to get to in the series. Illumination and Nintendo passed through years of potential movie setups in the Mushroom Kingdom. There were rumors that this movie was going to be called Super Mario World, which would have made sense given that the final stinger of The Super Mario Bros. Movie shows a Yoshi egg.
While Bowser is the villain in most Mario games, they have teamed up before, like in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. It would be far too early to do that in the second movie though. Even the Sonic film franchise waited until the third movie before Sonic and Dr. Robotnik teamed up. So, while Illumination and Nintendo may have jumped the gun by setting it in space, they shouldn’t make the same emotional leap with Bowser and Mario becoming pals.
Don’t Give Yoshi A Normal Voice
He Should Be Strained Like The Toads
Most of the actors from the first movie will be returning, including Chris Pratt as Mario and Jack Black as Bowser. Most actors performed their characters straight, meaning they didn’t have their vocals pitched or try to put on a performance of their own free will. One exception was Toad via Keegan-Michael Key, who didn’t exactly play Toad like the games, but Key definitely put on a voice for the role.
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Hopefully, whoever plays Yoshi will follow the same principles as Key and give the green dinosaur some sort of affected vocal styling. Nailing a voice can create praise, while going somewhere different can create discourse. No one in the original voice cast was bad, it was just a little unexpected and didn’t sit right with longtime fans. Also, this is all assuming Yoshi is in the movie, which hasn't yet been confirmed.
Hold Back On The Licensed Tracks
Give Mario’s Original Music A Spin
The Mario franchise has some of the best music in video games, and while the first movie highlighted some tracks through remixes, it also used a lot of licensed music. Most fans agree that this does not mix with Mario as a franchise that well. Some example tracks from The Super Mario Bros. Movie include "Thunderstruck" by AC/DC and "Holding Out for a Hero" by Bonnie Tyler. The licensed music didn’t ruin the movie, but it was jarring.
At least Mario, Peach, and the other characters didn’t sing these songs. That would have been even stranger, but it would have fit with some other Illumination movies. Super Mario Galaxy, in particular, had some amazing orchestrated music, and it would go a long way for fans to see their favorite songs play out on the big screen.
Peaches Should Be Done
Let Someone Else Have A Ballad
Bowser singing “Peaches” (although it was more like Jack Black singing “Peaches” as Bowser) in The Super Mario Bros. Movie was easily the breakout moment of the film. This led to live performances and a lot of promotion of this song. It’s catchy, but no one likes to wear out a song or a joke.
Hopefully, it won't appear in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie in an even bigger form. A nod to it is fine, but new jokes are good too. It’s bolder to go for the unknown rather than to rely on what works. That’s another thing fans praised The Super Mario Bros. Movie for, as it took chances with the lore. Not everything hit, but relying too much on the past will not push the industry forward, animated or otherwise.
Rosalina's Characterization
Keep Her A Calm Presence
Thanks to the Yoshi egg hatching at the end of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Yoshi is almost a lock in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. Also, with the inclusion of Lumas in the first movie, it does seem fitting to adapt Super Mario Galaxy next in some ways. That also means Rosalina has to be in the movie, and if she’s not, fans will not be happy. Getting Rosalina in is one thing, but nailing her personality is second.
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The Super Mario Bros. Movie changed Peach’s personality to be more rebellious, which gave her more agency, even though she did eventually get captured. Rosalina and Peach shouldn’t both be rebellious princesses. In the game Super Mario Galaxy, Rosalina is a bit more mysterious and knowledgeable, existing on a higher plane than Mario. In other words, Rosalina needs to have a playful wisdom to be a strong character in the adaptation.
Overstuffing The Movie With Characters
A Problem With Sequels
Movie sequels always like to introduce more characters, especially if that sequel is based on something. Sometimes it can be a good thing if the setups are good, like many of the earlier MCU movies, and sometimes it can be mishandled, like in the later MCU movies. Yoshi and Rosalina probably won’t be the only new characters in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. The first movie already had a lot of characters stuffed in with the inclusion of the Kong family.
Fans want to see Wario and Waluigi, but they don’t need to exist in space, because too many villains are never a good thing. Also, there was a flashback in The Super Mario Bros. Movie that showed Mario and Luigi as infants. Hopefully, they won’t return as standalone characters with some sort of time travel gimmick. If Illumination can show some restraint to not overload the movie’s plot, that will be a plus.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- April 3, 2026
- Director
- Aaron Horvath, Michael Jelenic
- Writers
- Matthew Fogel
- Prequel(s)
- The Super Mario Bros. Movie
Cast
-
Chris PrattMario -
Anya Taylor-JoyPrincess Peach -
Charlie DayLuigi -
Jack BlackBowser
