In The Super Mario Bros. Movie, the role of Mario is played by Chris Pratt. When Pratt’s role in the movie was first announced, many longtime Nintendo fans were disappointed that Charles Martinet would not play the character. Martinet is not the first actor to ever voice Mario, but he has been the voice of the character in the video games since the ’90s. Given that, his is the voice most closely associated with the character for fans! Despite Pratt’s place in the lead, Martinet does get to play a role in the movie, and it’s one that has been kept under wraps until now. WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD.
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In The Super Mario Bros. Movie, viewers are introduced to several other members of the Mario family. When the movie begins, Mario and Luigi have quit their jobs working for Spike’s construction crew to open up their own plumbing business. Unfortunately, their career goals (and commercial) are mocked by their family, including their father, who is voiced by Martinet. Mario and Luigi are not the only ones struggling to earn the respect of their parents, however; Donkey Kong’s character arc in the film also sees him trying to impress his father, Cranky Kong.
Mario and Luigi’s extended family have never been seen in the video games before, but the Italian-American heritage of the brothers has long been a major part of their history. In The Super Mario Bros. Super Show, viewers would occasionally meet a random cousin or other family member in the live-action segments, but these parts were played for laughs, and didn’t offer any actual glimpse into Mario and Luigi’s home life. The Super Mario Bros. Movie changes that by making it a big part of the motivation of the heroes. Given Martinet’s long association with the character, it makes sense for him to play Mario’s father, and by the end of the film, Mario and Luigi have clearly gained his approval!
In addition to the father of Mario and Luigi, Martinet voices a second role in the movie: a character named Giuseppe. Giuseppe makes a brief appearance early in the film, and bears a strong resemblance to Mario. The character is seen playing an arcade game called “Jumpman” in the Punch-Out Pizzeria, and gives his approval for Mario and Luigi’s commercial advertising their business. That’s a bit ironic considering their real dad doesn’t seem to be a fan!
Have you seen The Super Mario Bros. Movie yet? Were you happy to see Martinet land a role in the film? Let us know in thecomments or sharedirectly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!
