Super Mario Bros Movie 2 Update Completely Ruins Disney’s Big Redemption Plan

The Super Mario Bros Movie sequel is confirmed with an approximate release date, and it’s bad news for Disney‘s plans at redemption. The video game-based movie dominated the box office in 2023, so it’s no surprise that Illumination and Nintendo are investing in a continued story. In contrast, the House of Mouse had one of its worst years yet, with several of its most hopeful releases bombings at the box office. Based on Disney’s lineup for 2026, the company hopes this will be the year that things turn around, but the Mario sequel might make this more difficult.

Nintendo executive Shigeru Miyamoto and Illumination CEO Chris Meledandri have announced (via Screen Rant) that another Mario movie is on the way and even provided a US theatrical release date of April 3, 2026. The pair teased that the film would “[broaden] Mario’s world further” and would have a “bright and fun story,” which is undoubtedly intriguing after the $1.5 billion success of the first Super Mario Bros Movie. It’s easy to assume that this upcoming project will be another blockbuster, again dominating the world of animation—but what will this mean for Disney?

The Super Mario Bros Movie 2’s Release Date Is Bad News For Disney’s 2026 Plan

A confirmed release date for a Mario sequel so soon after The Super Mario Bros Movie is exciting, but it puts quite a damper on Disney’s 2026 plans. The studio already has a pretty ambitious lineup, indicating that Disney is trying to duplicate its $11 billion success from 5 years ago. In 2026, we will see movies like Frozen 3, Toy Story 5, and new Avengers and Star Wars movies, all franchises that saw their peak year in 2019. Apparently, Disney is desperate to make 2026 its big comeback year, but The Super Mario Bros Movie 2 is sure to be an obstacle.

Though both animated movies Disney has so far announced for 2026 are sequels to billion-dollar franchises, The Super Mario Bros Movie 2 is still likely to have an edge. Frozen is on its third installment, while Toy Story is on its fifth. It’s possible that after so many years of watching these characters and stories play out, audiences will have begun to lose interest. On the other hand, the Mario movie is still fresh and new, and its continued success streaming on Netflix indicates that it has excellent rewatchability value. So, it’s likely that the Nintendo sequel will win out.

Disney Desperately Needs A Redemption Year

The Mario sequel coming out the same year that Disney planned such a significant lineup wouldn’t be such a big deal if it weren’t for the company’s recent shortcomings. Disney CEO Bob Iger has been open about his frustration regarding recent animated releases, with reports reflecting that the company lost an estimated $900 million on underperforming movies in 2023 (via Screen Rant). Disney used to be the unchallenged leader in animation, but with Illumination seeing massive success with The Super Mario Bros Movie and the Despicable Me franchise, this is no longer the case.

Iger himself came out of retirement in an effort to save Disney, and the 2026 lineup indicates that his action plan involves leaning into what has worked in the past. Of course, there will surely be a variety of new projects from the House of Mouse that year two, and the combination of nostalgic sequels and fresh ideas may be enough for redemption. However, with Illumination already working off a high point, it may be difficult for Disney to reclaim its title as the master of animation.

Could Disney’s Biggest 2026 Movies Survive Illumination’s Mario Sequel?

Of course, just because Illumination and Nintendo are releasing a Super Mario Bros Movie 2 in 2026 doesn’t mean no one will be willing to go see Frozen 3 and Toy Story 5. The biggest benefit that Disney has going for it is that none of its confirmed titles are scheduled to release in April 2026, when Mario 2 is anticipated to hit theaters. There will be two months between the Illumination movie and Toy Story 5 and several more months before Frozen 3 releases, so there is a chance audiences will be up to heading to theaters and buying tickets for another animated movie.

Still, if Disney’s hope is to dominate the box office for the year overall, Mario 2 may stand in the way. The first The Super Mario Bros Movie claimed the second place spot for 2023, losing out only to Barbie. Back in 2019, Frozen 2 brought in just a little more than Mario‘s 2023 box office ($1.5 billion), but these pre-pandemic numbers may be hard to duplicate. Then, Toy Story 4 made $1.1 billion, which means the 2026 sequel has minimal chance of beating out Mario. Ultimately, Disney can hope for a close race, and this may just be enough to redeem the company in the public eye.