When it comes to the Super Mario Galaxy Movie, we know that it’ll have a slightly different cast of characters to the first. Indeed, while many cast members return for the sequel, like Chris Pratt as Mario, Charlie Day as Luigi and Jack Black as Bowser, the Kongs and Brooklyn characters are seemingly nowhere to be seen.
But while fans may have expected their absences, and Rosalina’s inclusion is basically a certainty, there are a few interesting characters that may also make the cut here. Bowser Jr, and Wario.
That’s because the official Instagram page for cinepoliselsalvador names the two as present in their post for the movie:
Nuevas amenazas, viejas rivalidades y una batalla que llega hasta las estrellas. 🌠
Mario, Luigi, Peach y Yoshi unen fuerzas contra Wario y Bowser Jr.
👉 Tráiler disponible ya.
While a leaked Bowser Jr action figure for the movie has seemingly been found online:
An unfinished Bowser Jr action figure for the Mario Galaxy Movie
And this is very interesting indeed. Since well, while Bowser Jr’s presence is pretty obvious given his role in the games the film is based on:
Bowser Jr plays a major part in both Super Mario Galaxy games
Wario’s presence seemingly comes out of nowhere. Indeed, with the character being absent in every mainline Mario title except Super Mario Land 2 and Super Mario 64 DS, you may wonder why the hell he’d appear in this.
But there might be a reason here, assuming the two leaks are indeed connected. Namely, Nintendo’s future plans for the character in games and adaptations.
Think about it. Why did Donkey Kong have a prominent role in the last film? He too never appears in the mainline Mario series, with Mario only encountering him in the spinoffs and his grandad Cranky Kong in the original arcade games. So logically, he’d have no reason to be there either.
Yet he was, and it probably all tied into his appearances ever since. He got a land at Super Nintendo World based on the Donkey Kong Country series, a redesign that carried over into Mario Kart World, then a full-blown 3D platformer aimed at the masses in the form of Donkey Kong Bananza. Heck, there’s even talk of a Donkey Kong movie in the works!
Nintendo including him in the movie was likely a way to get people familiar with him again before a major marketing push.
That’s a move they seem to be doing a lot recently. They gave Princess Peach a game with Princess Peach: Showtime, are giving Yoshi a big new game with Yoshi and the Mysterious Book, and heck, they’ve probably got plans for Bowser along the line too. They want to take Mario’s supporting cast, amp up the budget and marketing, and try to make them all stars of their own Luigi’s Mansion style spinoffs and triple A franchises.
They’ve already added the likes of Daisy and Toadette to Super Mario Bros Wonder, got Rosalina back for the Switch 2 version, and created versions of Daisy, Yoshi and Bowser Jr for Super Nintendo World.
Let’s be real, did anyone expect Daisy to be playable here?
Hence if Wario really is in the movie, and this rumour isn’t just speculation from the cinema chain, our theory is that it’d be setup to make him a popular character again. To revive his franchises in the public eye, and turn him from what’s basically spinoff fodder to a household name like he was back in the 90s.
Presumably, the setup would be:
- Cast Wario with a big-name comedic actor like they did with Seth Rogan and Donkey Kong
- Have him being a major secondary supporting character in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie
- Bring the inevitable redesign back into the games for his spinoff appearances
- Make a Donkey Kong Bananza or Super Mario Bros Wonder style Wario Land game with a huge budget and plenty of marketing
- Hope to make him popular enough for a movie, theme park appearances, etc
Does that sound crazy? Maybe, but we think Nintendo knows that Wario has potential and that there’s interest in a Wario Land revival at some point in the future. That they want to test the waters for a possible comeback, in hopes it takes the series from a 2-5 million selling one to a 10-20 million seller.
Still, that’s the rumour anyway. So, what do you think here? Will Wario and Bowser Jr really be in the Super Mario Galaxy Movie? If so, what would their roles be there? Could it be a sign that Nintendo wants to take these characters and market them more heavily in future?
Leave your thoughts in the comments below, or on our Discord server today!