Super Mario Bros. will soon be getting their own animated movie and while its revealed voice cast is great, some of the roles feel mismatched. Video game film adaptations certainly have a rocky tenure, but there have been some recent successes with Detective Pikachu and Sonic the Hedgehog, and it looks as though Nintendo is ready to take a new shot with their beloved Koopa-stomping plumber and his friends in partnership with Illumination. However, it seems as though some of the castings should be flipped with certain actors and their announced roles, potentially resulting in some missed opportunities for the animated feature.
Revealed in a Nintendo Direct live-stream event, Mario will be coming to theaters in 2022 with Chris Pratt in the voice role of the titular Italian plumber. Additionally, Pratt will be joined by Anya Taylor-Joy as Peach, Charlie Day as Luigi, Jack Black as Bowser, Keegan-Michael Key as Toad, Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong, Fred Armisen as Cranky Kong, Kevin Michael Richardson as Kamek, Sebastian Maniscalco as Spike, and Charles Martinet will reportedly be voicing various cameos, being the original voice of Mario, Wario, Waluigi, and more from the popular Nintendo game franchise.
However, while the cast as a whole is great and certainly shows Nintendo’s enthusiasm for the upcoming film, it feels as though some of these actors would have been better off playing other roles. While Chris Pratt was no doubt chosen for his popularity and success with other animated roles such as Emmet from The Lego Movie franchise, Jack Black (who’s playing Bowser) feels like a much more fitting choice to play Mario, especially considering his voice work as Po in Kung Fu Panda and the fact that he’s even voiced video game characters in the past (such as Eddie Riggs in Brütal Legend). It is far easier to picture Black pulling off Mario’s distinctive mannerisms and his voice than Pratt. Furthermore, Charlie Day (Luigi) and Keegan-Michael Key (Toad) should perhaps trade roles as well. To not have Charlie Day losing his cool as Toad feels like a missed opportunity for something truly special and hilarious, and Key as Luigi would also result in some super funny dynamics alongside his leading brother Mario.
It should be noted that while Jack Black might not be playing Mario, bringing Bowser to life is a solid consolation and a solid casting all the same. Furthermore, Anya-Taylor Joy is a dynamic choice for Princess Peach as she’s recently broken into voice acting with Playmobil: The Movie as well as Netflix’s The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, where she voiced the Gelfling princess Brea. However, Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong is probably the best-fitting casting the film has by far (Donkey Kong having Seth Rogen’s laugh feels hilariously inspired). That being said, it is hard to tell if these actors will do well in their announced roles due to the absence of footage, as it’s not yet known what kind of tone the film will be going for.
One thing that’s become clear is that for as much anticipation as this film has already generated online, the casting is already creating some division, particularly in reference to Pratt as Mario. However, while the roles of the titular Italian plumber and others currently feel mismatched despite the film’s great cast overall, it does seem as though full judgment should be reserved until Nintendo and Illumination releases a trailer for the upcoming Super Mario Bros. film.
