A Classic Nintendo Franchise Teased in The Super Mario Bros. Movie Should Get Its Own Film         

Next on the list for a movie adaptation should be one of the other Nintendo properties hinted at in The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Nintendo’s prospective dominance at the box office was cemented with the success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Although there have been successful Pokémon movies in the past, Mario’s billion-dollar box office success shows how Nintendo must keep bringing its games to the big screen. Many other Nintendo properties might use a movie adaptation, even if The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2 is presently in development and characters like Donkey Kong are clamoring for a spin-off.

Choosing which ones to adapt and how to expand on The Super Mario Bros.’ success are two of the prospect’s inherent problems. Film. Some, like the eagerly anticipated Legend of Zelda movie, are burdened with expectation. Some possess rich folklore that might make a movie adaptation surprisingly difficult. But there is one somewhat unknown, incredibly endearing series that would work well on a large screen. In addition to having a preexisting storyline, The Super Mario Bros. Movie hinted at it, which helped advance the shared cinematic Nintendo universe.

OVERVIEW

The success of the Super Mario Bros. Movie should inspire the film adaptation of other Nintendo franchises, other from Mario.
There is a suggestion that the Mario film and the Punch-Out series share the same universe, suggesting that a big-screen adaptation is possible.

Given its underappreciation, the Punch-Out! brand may present fresh narrative opportunities outside of Mario’s universe.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)

Directors Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic, who collaborated on Teen Titans Go! bring Mario to the big screen in The Super Mario Bros. Movie. In this animated comedy, Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Bowser, and other characters take on a brand-new adventure that takes place in the Mushroom Kingdom and beyond.

Super Mario Bros. Movie Voice Cast Guide: What the Actors Look Like in Real Life

A superb ensemble cast of performers portrays the well-known Nintendo video game characters in the Super Mario Bros. Movie. The animated fantasy comedy follows Mario as he travels through the bizarre Mushroom Kingdom, where the fire-breathing Bowser, the Kopas’ king, has abducted his brother Luigi. Mario is helped by Princess Peach and his sidekick Toad, who looks like a mushroom. The Super Mario Bros. Movie ensemble brings together gamer favorites from the original trilogy.

While updating some out-of-date features, the 2023 film faithfully recreates beloved game motifs, making it a far better picture than the critically panned 1993 live-action Super Mario Bros. Mario’s career in animation has been more successful thanks to TV series like The Super Mario Bros. The Great Mission to Rescue Princess Peach, an anime film from 1986, and Super Show and Super Mario World. The character is now making his Hollywood animated feature debut with this latest Super Mario Bros. film. This is a list of all the characters in The Super Mario Bros. Movie, along with who voiced them and other notable things about them.

Chris Pratt As Mario

As Mario the plumber in the Super Mario Bros. Movie, Chris Pratt is the main cast member. In the animated film, Mario is given a new origin narrative through his adventure to save his brother Luigi, which changes his entire life. In the animated feature, legendary gaming levels like Bob-mob Battlefield and Rainbow Road are recreated, giving the character more opportunities to perform his trademark jumps. Before becoming a blockbuster star in the Jurassic World and Guardians of the Galaxy franchises—the latter of which led to roles in other MCU films, such as Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame—Pratt first gained notoriety with the sitcom Parks and Recreation. He has provided the voices of key characters in Pixar’s Onward and The LEGO Movie before.

Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach

Anya Taylor-Joy is another member of the cast of the Super Mario Bros. Movie, providing a new voice for Princess Peach. The animated film portrays Princess Peach as a braver leader in the Mushroom Kingdom, solving the classic Princess Peach dilemma of being an antiquated damsel in distress archetype from Super Mario Bros. In addition to the historical romance Emma, the Marvel Comics adaption The New Mutants, the chess drama series The Queen’s Gambit, and the horror films The Witch, The Menu, Split, and Last Night in Soho, Taylor-Joy has starred in a few other films. She has provided voice acting for characters in the Netflix episodes The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance and The Playmobil Movie.

Charlie Day As Luigi

For most of the film, Bowser kidnaps Luigi, Mario’s twin brother, who is notoriously timid. Although he may not be the most courageous member of the group, Luigi stands out due to his kindness and accidental comedic timing. Charlie Day, who previously starred alongside Pratt in the LEGO Movie series, returns to voice Luigi in The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Day is best known for playing Charlie Keller on It is Always Sunny in Philadelphia. He has also acted in a few well-known movie series, including Horrible Bosses and Pacific Rim. Day is also well-known for developing the television programs Mythic Quest and The Cool Kids.

Jack Black As Bowser

An army of Kopas and Goombahs followed Bowser, a.k.a. King Kopa, as he ascended to power in the Mario franchise. In The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Bowser targets Mushroom Kingdom after conquering other regions. After giving an unforgettable performance as Po in the Kung Fu Panda films, Jack Black is back in the animated world as the character’s voice. Renowned for her skills as a comic and musician, Black has a cult following from her roles in music-driven comedy like Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny and School of Rock. In addition, Black appears in the casts of Peter Jackson’s King Kong, Tropic Thunder, and the Jumanji sequels.

How Punch-Out Fits into The Super Mario Bros. Movie Universe

How The Super Mario Bros. Movie Set Up Punch-Up! In The Same Universe

The possibility of Punch-Out! being adapted for the big screen is hinted at by a few easter eggs in The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which suggest that the characters from that series are part of the same universe. The Punch-Out Pizzeria, named after the boxing game series, is one of the main places in Brooklyn that Mario and Luigi visit. Many pictures of boxers from that series are on the pizzeria wall. This implies that the Punch-Out! characters did, in fact, exist and were boxers at some point in the past within the universe of The Super Mario Bros. Movie.

Although it is a small shout-out, it is noteworthy. Some Nintendo characters are suggested to be made-up inside that world, but others, like Donkey Kong, are proven to exist in the same parallel realm as the Mushroom Kingdom. For instance, Mario is briefly spotted playing Kid Icarus, implying that Pit’s exploits do not genuinely take place in that realm. This emphasizes how significant it is to assume that Punch-Out! took place in the world of Super Mario Bros. A former fighter might even own the pizza, emulating Rocky’s eatery in the Creed movies.

Punch-Out Is One of Nintendo’s Most Underrated Franchises

Punch-Out! Is A Colorful Boxing Series That Deserves More Love

Punch-Out’s possible appearance in the world of The Super Mario Bros. Movie is intriguing since it may finally bring this underappreciated Nintendo property some attention. Before moving to the Nintendo Entertainment System, the boxing game series had its start in arcades. In the game, players take on the role of Little Mac, a budding boxer who must contend with a diverse array of international opponents. Little Mac advances up the ranks to challenge notable champions like Mr. Sandman and even Donkey Kong thanks to Doc Louis’ teaching.

Even while Punch-Out! is one of the more established Nintendo brands, it is still not as well-known as more internationally known titles like Pokémon or The Legend of Zelda. 2009 saw the debut of the series’ most recent game, and Little Mac eventually made an appearance as a playable fighter in the Super Smash Bros. series. It is, nevertheless, a distinctive offering from the video game publisher and one of its few classic sports games that is not associated with Mario and his supporting cast. Although its cartoonish characters give it a visually striking quality, its emphasis on a real sport—albeit a colorful one—grounds it in relation to other Nintendo games.

Why Punch-Out Should Be the Next Animated Nintendo Movie

Nintendo’s Next Animated Movie Being a Cartoonish Sports Film Could Expand the Franchise in Exciting Ways

Punch-Out! might make a fantastic animated Nintendo film, providing a whole new horizon to explore beyond the Mario and Luigi-centric plot of The Super Mario Bros. Movie while maintaining a connection to that world. With so many combatants in the mix, each with a distinct personality and skill set in the ring, Little Mac would undoubtedly face many interesting challenges from the large cast. His ambition to excel as a warrior in the face of fierce opposition would mesh well with the overarching themes of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which emphasized Mario’s ability to persevere in the face of adversity as his greatest strength.

It might broaden the realm beyond Brooklyn and fit in with the universe’s themes. It might combine the ridiculous humor of the previous picture with sports movie clichés, demonstrating that the series can be more adventurous and ambitious in terms of tone and focus. Because of the series’ relative obscurity, directors may be able to execute their ideas more creatively and avoid giving Mario’s quest a heavy emphasis on the narrative and iconography that some critics felt was unnecessary. Although Punch-Out! may seem like an odd choice, it might be a fantastic way to expand the Super Mario Bros. Movie universe.