The Super Mario Bros. Movie is officially getting a sequel, and a Princess Peach spinoff is probably inevitable as 2023’s billion-dollar hit transforms into a full-on franchise — though one of her game storylines should be avoided. The Super Mario Bros. Movie proved a massive success, so it’s no surprise that The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2 is happening. And there are plenty of places the franchise can go beyond Mario and Luigi’s stories. Princess Peach is the most obvious character to explore in a spinoff, especially given her role in the video games and first film.

If a Princess Peach movie does happen, there are numerous directions The Super Mario Bros. franchise could take her character in. The games offer a variety of narratives to adapt, and that’s not to mention the avenues already set up by the 2023 film. Whatever the movie franchise does with Princess Peach’s character, it should avoid using one storyline from the Super Mario Bros. games. After the conflict established in the movie adaptation, this subplot just wouldn’t land the same on-screen.

The Super Mario Bros. Franchise Needs A Princess Peach Movie

2023’s Adaptation Improved Her Character From The Games

The Super Mario Bros. Movie fixes a major Princess Peach problem from the games: her lack of personality and autonomy. Peach is a damsel in distress in the majority of Super Mario Bros. games, and the narrative rarely focuses on her character over its lead. The 2023 film changes this approach, turning Peach into a heroine in her own right. She helps Mario navigate the Mushroom Kingdom, and she’s a major player in the fight against Bowser. These positive changes make a Princess Peach movie a must for the franchise. And the perfect spinoff storyline is already set up.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie gives Peach a mysterious backstory, revealing that she came to the Mushroom Kingdom through a Warp Pipe when she was just a baby. Since Peach doesn’t know where she comes from, it seems likely that a sequel or spinoff will dig into her origin. In fact, it would be disappointing if this didn’t happen at some point. And there are numerous games the franchise can pull from in order to craft Peach’s backstory. It should steer clear of one awkward storyline, though, especially after the plot of The Super Mario Bros. Movie.

A Princess Peach Spinoff Should Avoid Super Mario Sunshine’s Bowser Jr. Storyline

The Character’s Introduction Wouldn’t Work For A Movie

No matter what Illumination’s Super Mario Bros. universe does with Peach, it should avoid recreating Super Mario Sunshine‘s Bowser Jr. storyline. In Super Mario Sunshine, Bowser Jr. makes his first appearance — and he refers to Princess Peach as his mother. While it’s later revealed that this isn’t actually the case, it’s a bizarre inclusion, even in the games. The main source of comedy in this moment comes from players’ being perplexed and Bowser looking desperate. But even that wouldn’t be enough to make it work in a movie.

It’s likely that Bowser Jr.’s storyline wouldn’t land well on-screen, especially with a more modern audience. The Super Mario Bros. Movie pulls Bowser’s obsession with Peach from the source material, so the setup is there. However, Super Mario Sunshine‘s Bowser Jr. plot likely wouldn’t go over well if it was examined for a lengthy period of time. It’s also hard to compare Peach’s reaction in the games to the Peach from the movie. The latter would almost certainly have a different response, removing any suspense players might have felt at Bowser Jr.’s arrival.

The Games’ Bowser Jr. Story Would Be Too Weird After The Super Mario Bros. Movie

Super Mario Sunshine‘s Bowser Jr. storyline would be too weird to utilize on-screen, especially with The Super Mario Bros. Movie’s modernized version of Peach. Princess Peach is very clear in her rejection of Bowser in the film, and there’s no way she’d accept his child calling her “mama.” This would also come with awkward implications that could hurt a spinoff or sequel. For Bowser Jr. to believe Peach is his mother, Bowser would need to lie to him about it — and disrespect Peach more than he already has. While it’s not out of character, no one wants to see Peach in that situation.

It’s also unclear if Bowser will even return as a villain in The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2, as the ending of the film leaves him safely locked away. Overusing Bowser — and even bringing his son into the picture — risks getting repetitive in future movies. Rather than revisit the same Bowser and Peach storylines, The Super Mario Bros. franchise might be better off introducing new villains. This will keep things fresh and expand the world of the movies.