10 Characters We Need To See In The Super Mario Galaxy Movie

Given that "Super Mario Bros." is the best-selling video game franchise of all time, it shouldn't have been too surprising that 2023's "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" joined the ranks as one of the highest-grossing films of all time shortly after its release. While some critics felt that Nintendo's big screen adventure thrived on being unsurprising, others felt it was an adequate start to Nintendo's promise of a cinematic universe revolving around their biggest characters. But for a cinematic universe to properly start... "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" will have to over-deliver with its sequel.

In September 2025, the franchise's future in theaters was officially announced with a teaser for "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie," with Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Day, Keegan Michael-Key, and Jack Black all confirmed to be reprising their roles as Mario, Princess Peach, Luigi, Toad, and Bowser, respectively. However, Nintendo has yet to reveal who else will be joining the cast, which has already gotten avid "Mario" fans speculating on who may or may not appear.

Even casual fans know that the "Super Mario Bros." franchise is bountiful in characters that fans would love to see hit the big screen. Though it might be easy to predict we'll see a lot of faces from the "Super Mario Galaxy" games, "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" was broad in its depiction of the "Mario" universe and the many games in it. 

Here are all the characters we need to see in the "Super Mario Galaxy Movie," coming to theaters in April 2026.

The one character fans will 100% see in "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie" is Yoshi, one of the most iconic characters in the "Mario" franchise. Notably, Yoshi was one of the best cameos in "The Super Mario Bros. Movie," revealed in a post-credits scene with his recognizable egg hatching underneath Brooklyn. Though Yoshi has had plenty of adventures separate from Mario (namely in the "Yoshi's Island" series), he often appears in the mainline games as either a sidekick to Mario (like in "Super Mario World" or "Super Mario Sunshine") or a playable character himself ("Super Mario 64 DS" and "Super Mario Wonder"). 

Additionally, Yoshi features heavily in "Super Mario Galaxy 2," which "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie" is sure to take inspiration from. Although Yoshi's role in the game is mainly for platforming and game design, it's possible that Yoshi's kind will be native to a planet explored in the film or perhaps utilized by the Mushroom Kingdom in their efforts to stop whatever Bowser has in mind for traveling to outer space.

Since Yoshi's presence in the film is all but guaranteed, the only question that remains regarding his role is who will voice him. It seems logical that Nintendo and Illumination may just re-purpose archival voice clips of Kazumi Totaka, who has lended his voice to Yoshi since "Yoshi's Story" for the Nintendo 64. It also remains to be seen if "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie" will also be Yoshi's story, rather than just a supporting role. 

If any character from the "Mario" series is a shoe-in for "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie," it's Rosalina. After all, she made her official debut in the first "Super Mario Galaxy," as a maternal figure to the Lumas who aids Mario in rescuing Princess Peach from Bowser. Fans have a very deep connection to Rosalina, given that "Super Mario Galaxy" features a storybook in which they can learn the character's backstory as a young girl traveling the cosmos in search of her missing parents, before becoming a guardian to the Lumas. 

Since one member of the Luma species, Lumalee, already appeared in "The Super Mario Bros. Movie," it's easy to expect they'll play a much bigger role in "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie" alongside Rosalina, who may potentially take the role of Peach in the first film as Mario's companion and closest ally in his intergalactic adventures. Hopefully, Nintendo satisfies fans' desire to see Rosalina on screen by adapting not only her character but her beautiful backstory into the upcoming film.

In terms of actors who could voice Rosalina in the upcoming film, there's really a lot of options for Nintendo and Illumination. Actors like Scarlett Johansson, Olivia Colman, and Rosario Dawson could lend the role some much-needed gravitas, but judging by the casting of Chris Pratt as Mario, they might opt for someone more popular. Our suggestion: Sabrina Carpenter, since she could easily capture Rosalina's grace while also going toe-to-toe with the movie's roster of comic actors. 

While Bowser Jr. is a prominent recurring boss in "Super Mario Galaxy" and "Super Mario Galaxy 2," the character first appeared in the GameCube title "Super Mario Sunshine." There, Bowser Jr. got his most fleshed-out portrayal yet, as the son of Bowser masquerading as Mario and graffitiing Isle Delfino, forcing Mario to clean up his mess while he captures Princess Peach, under the assumption that Peach is his mother. This is a story that seems like an obvious next step for a sequel to "The Super Mario Bros. Movie," given Bowser and Peach's relationship in that film.

Namely, Bowser's motivation for kidnapping Peach in that movie is out of a desire to marry her, which not only humanizes him as a character but results in some pretty funny moments, too. Throwing Bowser Jr. into the mix as a new tactic for Bowser to woo Peach would make a lot of sense, and it would pay tribute to the 3D Mario game that came before "Super Mario Galaxy," as fans of "Super Mario Sunshine" may be sad they're not getting a proper film adaptation of the summer-y GameCube game.

Who would be the best choice to voice Bowser Jr.? Well, if Illumination would like to take the chance on some up-and-coming talent, we'd suggest "Saturday Night Live" breakout star Marcello Hernandez, who recently showed up as a scene stealer in "Happy Gilmore 2." It's simply too easy to imagine Hernandez's raspy, youthful energy complimenting Jack Black's Bowser voice. 

Since "Bee Movie 2" will probably never happen, "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie" will be the best way for apiarians to see anthropomorphic bees on the big screen. One of the first galaxies that players travel to in "Super Mario Galaxy" is the Honeyhive Galaxy, in which Mario adopts a Bee Suit and meets the leader of the Honeyhive Kingdom, the Queen Bee. This seems like a natural fit for a sequel to "The Super Mario Bros. Movie," in which the relationship between kingdoms plays a big role, namely Peach's Mushroom Kingdom and Cranky Kong's Jungle Kingdom. 

Additionally, there aren't a ton of levels in "Super Mario Galaxy" that feel as instantly recognizable as the Honeybee-centric ones. The Queen Bee also re-appears in "Super Mario Galaxy 2," though in both games her role is merely to ask Bee Mario to scratch her body in exchange for a Power Star. She also appeared as a playable racer in "Mario Kart 7," though her appearances outside of these three games are scarce. 

Nevertheless, the Queen Bee seems like an obvious inclusion in "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie" if only because there's one actress who would be the perfect voice for her: Jennifer Coolidge. The star of "The White Lotus" has already appeared in a video game adaptation, "The Minecraft Movie," so maybe her co-star Jack Black will convince her to join the world of "Mario" in this role that's simply made for her. 

While Rosalina's role in "Super Mario Galaxy 2" is much less prevalent than in "Super Mario Galaxy," her role as Mario's hub world companion is taken over by the lovable Lubba, a big purple Luma who captains Starship Mario, a spaceship modeled after Mario's head after he reunites Lubba's crew with a Baby Luma. Although Lubba doesn't get as much of a backstory as Rosalina, her cheery demeanor and memorable role in "Super Mario Galaxy 2" makes her an easy choice to join the cast of "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie."

The only thing working against Lubba's inclusion in a "Mario" movie is the fact that, unlike Rosalina, the character hasn't had the longevity outside of the one Wii game. Lubba's made a few cameo appearances in titles like "Mario Golf: World Tour" and "Super Smash Bros. Ultimate," while Rosalina has had fully playable appearances in games like "Super Mario 3D World" and "Mario Kart World." Still, what makes "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie" the perfect way to build a Nintendo cinematic universe is satisfying fans both old and new, so Lubba deserves a chance to find a new fanbase with the film.

As for who could voice Lubba, there are many options out there. It's easy to imagine comediennes like Ayo Edebiri or Kristen Schaal in the role, but we'd hope she could be played by Maya Rudolph, who's able to make a meal out of every single pronunciation, as proven by her voicework in "Big Mouth." 

"The Super Mario Bros. Movie" has already revealed an entire kingdom full of anthropomorphic monkeys with the Jungle Kingdom, where Mario first encounters the Kong family tree. Although Seth Rogen is yet to be confirmed to reprise his role as Donkey Kong in "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie," there may be a spot in the cast for another apelike character: The Chimp, a recurring NPC in "Super Mario Galaxy 2" who challenges Mario to races in various levels across the game. 

Gameplay-wise, The Chimp serves a similar purpose to other characters in 3D "Mario" games, such as Koopa the Quick in "Super Mario 64" or Il Piantissimo in "Super Mario Sunshine." It would certainly make for a fun obstacle in the movie to include a race between Mario and The Chimp, though for some it may end up too similar to Mario's "Super Smash Bros." brawl with Donkey Kong in the first movie. Still, it'd be some well-deserved representation for the other kinds of monkeys that appear in the "Mario" franchise, like the Ukikis of the 2D "Mario" titles. 

As for who could voice The Chimp, the character's lack of playing a major role in the game means it probably won't be an A-lister. Still, recruiting a dependably funny talent like Beck Bennett ("SNL") or Alex Hirsch ("Gravity Falls") could give the character a lot of life. 

Ever since "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" was announced, fans have clamored for one thing: Danny DeVito as Wario. But as fans of the "Mario" series know, there's no introducing Wario without his equally nefarious brother, Waluigi. Wario himself was first introduced in "Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins," but he has since become a main-stay of spin-off franchises like "Mario Kart" and "Mario Party" and has even led his own solo series with the microgame-focused "WarioWare" franchise. 

Waluigi, on the other hand, surprisingly has yet to appear in a mainline "Super Mario Bros." title, after originating in the Nintendo 64 game "Mario Tennis" and being long snubbed for a playable role in the "Super Smash Bros." franchise. Nevertheless, Wario and Waluigi remain some of the most iconic Nintendo villains of all time, inspiring countless memes. That memeability would only increase if the two were to be included somehow in "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie," perhaps as part of Mario and Luigi's extended family, or as alternate versions of the duo from another planet.

Though the casting of the "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" star would be ideal for many fans, an alternate option floated by Jack Black is Pedro Pascal, who could definitely pull of the comedy of Wario, given his voice work experience in last year's "The Wild Robot." As for Waluigi, there's only one clear option: Bill Hader. If you need convincing, rewatch Hader's Vincent Price impression from "Saturday Night Live." 

We've already established that the presence of Yoshi in "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie" is all but assured. However, one character no one seems to be speculating about is Birdo. Though often portrayed as a female counterpart to Yoshi, he/she (the jury's still out on what Birdo's actual gender is) actually pre-dated many iconic "Mario" characters by first appearing in "Super Mario Bros. 2" for the NES, which was released in Japan as "Doki Doki Panic." 

More recently, Birdo has been mainly included in spin-off titles like "Mario Tennis Aces," "Mario Kart World," and "Super Mario Party," but he/she's made the odd appearance in more narrative-driven RPGS from the franchise, like "Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga" and "Super Mario RPG," the latter having just gotten a remake on Nintendo Switch. Though it's unlikely for Birdo to be given a full arc in "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie," it's possible that the character could still somehow make a cameo in the movie. 

As for voice actors, it's unlikely that Birdo would get a proper voice if we also assume that Yoshi wouldn't get one. But if we had to cast anyone? Give us Kristen Wiig, who's had plenty of experience with roles both big and small in popular animated films like "Despicable Me 3" (also from Illumination) and "How to Train Your Dragon."

With all the discourse that followed the voice actors of "The Super Mario Bros. Movie," there's probably not a single person who complained about Charlie Day being cast as Luigi. It filled many fans with the hope for a Day-led "Luigi's Mansion" movie, but while that may not be in the near future, an integral character to that spin-off franchise could potentially show up in "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie."

Professor E. Gadd is notably a major presence in all the "Luigi's Mansion" games, as a mad scientist who recruits Luigi to do his ghostbusting dirty work. However, that's not all E. Gadd is known for in the "Mario" franchise. He also appears in the "Mario & Luigi" games to provide the plumbing brothers with tech, and the F.L.U.D.D. device in "Super Mario Sunshine," as well as Bowser Jr.'s paintbrush, are canonical creations of the inventor. If Mario and company need help getting to outer space in the new film, it's plausible they might seek out the help of this kooky genius. 

There is plenty of iconic comic actors who would do a great job embodying the zaniness of E. Gadd in "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie," like Martin Short or Christopher Lloyd. However, when thinking about the character's very specific nasally, high-pitched tone of voice, our brains go to some of the best voice actors of modern times, like Billy West, Tom Kenny, or Mark Hamill. 

Before there was Princess Peach, there was Pauline. This brunette in a red dress was the kidnapped girlfriend of "Jumpman" in the arcade classic "Donkey Kong," though she was absent from the "Super Mario Bros." franchise for most of its history. That is, until "Super Mario Odyssey" redefined her not as a damsel-in-distress or love interest to Mario but the beloved mayor of New Donk City who leads a jazz band in the now-iconic song "Jump Up, Super Star!"

Pauline has since had a completely revitalized presence in the "Mario" franchise, appearing not only in spin-off games like "Mario Kart World" and "Super Mario Party Jamboree" but her younger self playing a major role in the latest Nintendo Switch 2 release, "Donkey Kong Bananza." If Nintendo and Illumination wanted to capitalize on the character's renewed popularity, including her in "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie" would be a no-brainer. Perhaps, rather than kidnapping Princess Peach, Bowser takes the newly-elected Mayor Pauline, forcing Mario and Peach to travel to outer space to rescue her.

There's a lot of people who'd go a great job voicing Pauline, including actresses with strong vocal talents like Anna Kendrick, Alison Brie, and Cecily Strong. However, after hearing Cristin Milioti's incredible Sofia Falcone accent in "The Penguin" and knowing her history as a beautiful singer, she'd be the best choice for a strong, independent mayor of New Donk City.