Nintendo Revealed The New Video Game Voice Of Mario, And Thankfully It's Not Chris Pratt
The end of an era has given way to the start of a new one. Nintendo has announced that Mario (and his brother Luigi) have a new voice in the video games, and that voice is going to be provided by actor Kevin Afghani. He will make his debut as the voice of the iconic duo in the upcoming game "Super Mario Bros. Wonder," which is set to hit shelves next week.
This news comes several weeks after it was revealed that Charles Martinet, who has been the voice of Mario since 1991, is retiring from the role. That meant that someone had to step in and fill those legendary shoes. That someone is Afghani, who is a voice actor with a relatively small resume up to this point in his career. This is far and away his most high-profile gig to date. No pressure. Afghani, taking to Twitter, had this to say about it:
"Incredibly proud to have voiced Mario and Luigi in Super Mario Bros. Wonder. Thanks to Nintendo for inviting me into the Flower Kingdom!"
It's unclear at this time if Afghani will be the voice of Mario and/or Luigi on a more permanent basis going forward, or if he is just the man for the job in this particular game. It seems likely that Nintendo would seek some consistency once again, as Martinent steered that sheep for more than 30 years.
Chris Pratt ("Guardians of the Galaxy") voiced the character in this year's animated "Super Mario Bros. Movie." While the movie was a smash hit, taking in more $1.35 billion at the box office, Pratt's interpretation of Mario was viewed as disappointing by many. Not that it was likely that Pratt was going to take over the role from Martinet, but still, his part in all of this will be limited to the big screen, it seems.
A changing of the guard
To say the very least of it, having a new actor taking on the role of Mario in a video game is no small thing. Martinet has been a staple in pop culture for decades and passing that torch to someone new is significant. For Afghani, it's a significant break in his career. His credits, up to this point, are minimal but largely have been relegated to anime. His biggest role was as Raditz in "Dragon Ball R&R." Some of his other credits include the video game "Genshin Impact" and "Anime Penguin: Red Snow."
Should Afghani be our guy going forward, this could be a gig that makes him a part of the pop culture fabric for years to come. Outside of the games, he could end up a fixture of future movies as well, as we're absolutely getting a "Mario" sequel at some point, if not a whole lot more. Even though Martinet didn't voice Mario, he did voice Mario's dad, in addition to providing some of the character's signature sounds. As for Afghani's first turn as the character? The synopsis for "Super Mario Bros. Wonder" reads as follows:
Mario and friends have been invited to visit the colorful Flower Kingdom, just a short hop away from the Mushroom Kingdom. Unfortunately, King Bowser has transformed into a flying castle and is causing chaos across their peaceful land. Now our heroes must save the day—and the Flower Kingdom — in this wonderous new adventure!
"Super Mario Bros. Wonder" arrives on October 20, 2023, for the Nintendo Switch.