Anticipation is building for the potential casting of Wario in The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2 and there are a few actors who could do the role justice. With The Super Mario Bros. Movie being a box office hit when it was released earlier this year, excitement around a sequel is already buzzing. One character that was missing from the first film, Mario’s arch nemesis Wario, is one of the most eagerly anticipated additions to a potential sequel. After the success of the first movie, which saw an ensemble cast bring beloved Nintendo characters to life, the stakes are high for getting the casting of Wario perfectly right.
The charismatic antagonist Wario is hopefully set to make his mark in The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2, which, while not confirmed, is all but inevitable considering the rampant success of the first movie. As those familiar with the video games prepare for a sequel, one burning question remains: who will take on the role of the charming, yet slightly diabolical Wario? Casting choices for iconic characters are always controversial, and this time, it’s Wario’s turn to be the center of the discussion.
8 Joe Manganiello
Despite not having a super extensive voice acting career, Joe Manganiello has proven that he has the capability to transform into strong, powerful characters, such as his werewolf character in Trueblood. Many view him as a Hollywood heartthrob, and Manganiello can definitely use that charm to make others laugh. In various interviews, Manganiello has impressed viewers with his on-point impressions of Pee-wee Herman, Kermit the Frog, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Adding Wario to that list seems like an achievable goal. Hearing Manganiello on the big screen would please many ears. His strong, yet lighthearted persona could come in handy when playing the goofy anti-hero, Wario.
7 Luis Guzman
Coming off the heels of his recent portrayal of Gomez Addams in the Netflix hit Wednesday, Luis Guzman has proven he’ll give energy in every role. Whether he’s playing a dark, intense character like inmate Raoul Hernandez in Oz or voicing a Great Dane named Chucho in Beverly Hills Chihuahua, Guzman has proven that he has the range to pull off a quirky character like Wario and mix dark and villainous with humor and spirit. Adding Wario to his long list of memorable performances would continue Guzman’s legend in Hollywood.
6 Ron Perlman
Ron Perlman has one of those voices that can frighten yet soothe at the same time. With a considerable resume of voice acting roles, including Justice from Afro Samurai, Slade from Teen Titans, and Hellboy, Perlman has displayed time and time again that he can pull off sinister. Although Wario wouldn’t necessarily be described as sinister, Perlman has the talent and capacity to tailor Wario’s voice in order to convey the correct message and deliver the most effective tone. Even though Perlman has experience in voicing media made for children, it would be fun to see him in a more lighthearted role.
5 Pedro Pascal
Pedro Pascal has been on a lot of people’s radar for this role ever since Jack Black’s Wario casting idea. Black, who voices Bowser in The Super Mario Bros. Movie., said in an interview earlier this year, “Are you thinking what I’m thinking? Wario. Pedro Pascal is Wario.” While Pedro hasn’t responded, fans of the potential franchise are more than on board with this choice. Pascal has recently risen to fame due to his roles in HBO’s The Last of Us and The Mandalorian. Casting Pascal as Wario would be a good move, as his star power would likely bring in more viewers, and in turn, more money. With a Super Mario Bros. Movie sequel to be a surefire box office hit, it wouldn’t hurt for Pascal to capitalize off of the hype it’s certain to bring.
4 Willem Dafoe
Willem Dafoe may seem like an odd choice to have a part of a potential Super Mario Bros. Movie franchise. He’s known for taking on intense or heavily dramatic roles in films like The Boondock Saints and Antichrist. While he does know how to play a villain, as seen in the Spider-Man movies, Dafoe is definitely equipped with the tools to bring a bit of light to his darker characters. This is evident in Dafoe’s depiction of Gil the Moorish Idol in Finding Nemo and Ryuk the Death God in Death Note. Being no stranger to voicing off-the-wall characters with dark pasts, Willem Dafoe would do Wario justice by shining a light on his heart of gold.
3 Christoph Waltz
According to the original voice actor of Wario, Thomas Spindler, Wario was supposed to be German (via NintendoWire) before he was made Italian like his super counterpart. With that fun and interesting bit of knowledge, it only makes sense to have one of the greatest German-Austrian actors to play a villain play one of the greatest would-be German villains. His critically acclaimed performance as Hans Landa in Inglorious Basterds shows that Waltz has the capacity to be quite intense and menacing. That said, he can also be charming, funny and lovable, as seen in his depiction of Dr. King Schultz in Django Unchained. Waltz is a great option as he has the capacity to be the most incredible antagonist, but an antagonist audiences will end up loving.
2 Danny DeVito
With decades of acting experience under his belt, Danny DeVito feels like an obvious casting choice to voice Wario. With stellar performances in films like Matilda, he perfectly toes the line between an evil antagonist and a quirky friend. That is the epitome of Wario. DeVito also has plenty of voice acting roles on his resume. He lent his voice as the evil alien and amusement park owner Swackhammer in Space Jam, as well as the fun satyr Phil in Hercules. However, his audition to convey eccentricity comes from his portrayal as Frank Reynolds in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, a perfect example of DeVito dabbling in questionable morals and peculiar charm.
1 Phil LaMarr
Phil LaMarr is arguably one of the greatest voice actors of all time, and he’d easily be on The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2 wishlist. He has the ability to transform his voice in a way that so fully embodies the essence of the character that one forgets there’s a human on the other side. Since LaMarr’s voice is not typecast and so versatile, a viewer often doesn’t know that they’re hearing his voice until they see the credits roll. This is an amazing skill, as it allows the audience to fully immerse themselves in the viewing experience. Some of his past voice acting work includes John Stewart from Justice League, Hermes Conrad from Futurama, and the title character of Samurai Jack. LaMarr clearly has the perfect ability to transform his voice to fit any animation and character. He could seamlessly pull off Wario in The Super Mario Bros. 2.
