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Who does Charles Martinet play in The Super Mario Bros. Movie?

Mario voice actor Charles Martinet makes an appearance in the new movie, and here's who he plays.

Donovan Erskine

April 6, 2023 10:50 AM

Universal Pictures

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Mario’s voice is one of the most iconic in gaming, and that’s thanks to Charles Martinet. The legendary voice actor has lent his voice to the Italian plumber (and several of his companions) for decades, but was notably not cast as any of the main characters in The Super Mario Bros. Movie. While Chris Pratt and Charlie Day star as Mario and Luigi, Universal Pictures and Nintendo found a way to get the original Mario voice in there through smaller roles. Here’s who Charles Martinet plays in the Super Mario Bros. Movie.

Warning: This article contains light spoilers for The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Proceed with caution.

Who does Charles Martinet play in The Super Mario Bros. Movie?

Charles Martinet pops up a couple of times during The Super Mario Bros. Movie. The first time we hear him is very early on, when a character who bears a striking resemblance to Mario is playing a Donkey Kong arcade machine in the pizza restaurant. Some have speculated that this is Giuseppe, an old co-worker of Mario and Luigi’s. We believe that this may also be a nod to the original “Jumpman” Mario that appeared in the arcade Donkey Kong game.

The next time we hear Charles Martinet is when Mario is speaking with his family. Martinet lends his voice to the role of Mario’s father, a character we meet for the first time in the movie. It’s a symbolic choice, as Martinet’s portrayal of Mario throughout his countless video game appearances is largely responsible for how iconic the character has become.

It’s likely that Charles Martinet also pops up in minor roles throughout the movie that we haven’t named in this article. When the movie’s cast was first announced, Universal Pictures and Nintendo confirmed that Martinet would appear in various roles. If you think you caught one of his cameos, feel free to share it with us in the Chatty!

Donovan Erskine

News Editor

Donovan is a journalist from Maryland. His oldest gaming memory is playing Pajama Sam on his mom's desktop during weekends. Pokémon Emerald, Halo 2, and the original Star Wars Battlefront 2 were some of the most influential titles in awakening his love for video games. After interning for Shacknews throughout college, Donovan graduated from Bowie State University in 2020 with a major in broadcast journalism and joined the team full-time. He is a huge film fanatic and will talk with you about movies and games all day. You can follow him on twitter @Donimals_