When it was announced the Super Mario Bros Movie was getting a sequel, everyone assumed Nintendo and Illumination would go the easy route where naming is concerned. That they’d call it the Super Mario Bros Movie 2 (or 2nd Super Mario Bros Movie), and that’d be it.
But it appears that may not actually be the case. Why? Because earlier today, Twitter user Wario64 spotted a press release from NBC Universal that seemed to indicate the movie was going to be called Super Mario World instead:
the Mario sequel movie is titled "Super Mario World" https://t.co/wgiR9mV5yc pic.twitter.com/Z6H90Mlcze
— Wario64 (@Wario64) May 14, 2025
And while this was quickly removed after being shared online, It still left the distinct possibility that it might be a leak rather than a mistake. That someone at Nintendo, Illumination or NBC Universal may have given the gig away here.
Still, assuming this name is accurate, we’re rather mixed on the whole affair.
Because well, naming a new instalment in a franchise after an earlier entry just seems like a bad move to us. It was bad when Tomb Raider did it, was bad when Mortal Kombat did it, and it’s been bad for pretty much every example on this TV Tropes page too.
So, why is that? Why is reusing a title such a bad idea here?
Well for one thing, it’s dreadful for both SEO and brand distinctiveness. People already get confused when a movie or game has a similar title to another one in the same series or genre, and this just makes things even worse. Now, when someone wants information about the movie, they could just get lost in a torrent of information on the 1992 SNES game instead.
Which itself is actually a more likely situation than Nintendo might care to admit. Since well, not only has the original game become a cultural icon with a flood of articles, videos and fanworks based on it…
But it’s also a somewhat relevant topic too. It’s on Nintendo Switch Online, so Nintendo advertises it as part of their services. It’s got references in all manner of games and media, like Super Mario Maker 3 and Super Mario Bros Wonder.
Plus it’s even been advertised for things like Switch Online icons and Nintendo Music playlists. So a new, multi-billion work using that name seems like a brand recognition disaster waiting to happen.
Ah well, we’re not exactly marketing experts here, so maybe it’ll work out in the end. Maybe it’ll be another Sonic the Hedgehog situation where the films mostly manage to stand out from the games despite generally sharing the same titles. We’re guessing that’s what Nintendo is hoping for anyway.
And hey, the movie name could give a few hints as to the topic of the film too. After all, the post credits scene in the original had a Yoshi hatch from an egg:
So, it seems like this could be a very SMW/Yoshi focused movie. One that either adapts the events of the bros’ Dinosaur Land adventure for a new generation, or uses elements from the somewhat infamous TV show like Mama Luigi. Or heck, a mix of both possibilities at once.
Regardless, what do you think? Will the next film really be called Super Mario World? Is that a good idea for a title?
Leave your thoughts in the comments below, or on our Discord server today!
Source:
The Mario Movie is Called Super Mario World? (Cached NBC Universal Press Release)