After months of waiting, Nintendo fans were finally treated to the first look at the animated “Super Mario Bros.” movie from Illumination, the animation studio behind “Minions” and “Despicable Me.” Anxious anticipation has been building ever since the “Mario” movie was first announced, but perhaps nothing was more hyped than hearing Chris Pratt voice Mario for the very first time. And, well, Pratt’s Mario voice got mixed results. It wasn’t quite Mario or Italian, and it mostly sounded a lot like Pratt’s normal voice.
But besides Mario’s voice, fans of the video games got to see the Mushroom Kingdom in vibrant animation. Bowser’s flying, fiery castle looked hotter than ever, and characters like Toad, Luigi, Kamek, the Koopa Troopas and Dry Bones were finally brought to life on the big screen. There are still plenty more characters, like Donkey Kong, Peach and Cranky Kong, to unveil, but “Super Mario Bros.” already looks more promising that most video game movies.
The “Mario” video games have countless characters, worlds and power-ups to pull into the movie, so what other Easter Eggs could be hiding in the animated film? Could Wario or Waluigi be surprise villains alongside Bowser in the movie? Could Mario pick up a fire flower or ride a Yoshi? Here are some video game elements we hope are included in the film, or perhaps in a sequel.
Wario and Waluigi
Every hero needs an evil doppelgänger, and Wario is about as iconic as you can get in the Mario world — heck, even in pop culture in general. He would make a worthy co-antagonist with Bowser, or he could even steal the spotlight in a sequel. And there can’t be Wario without Waluigi — the purple antithesis to Luigi. And if these two characters were to pop up in a follow-up movie, they’d better have some unexpected A-list actors attached (here’s hoping for the Danny DeVito and Steve Buscemi).
Fire Flower and More Power-Ups
Power-ups are vital to every “Mario” game, allowing the plumber to grow, shrink, fly or throw fireballs with the help of some magic items. Since the trailer shows Mario reaching for a mushroom, before Toad scares the life out of him, it’s not hard to imagine the Italian plumber eating some for super-sized strength. Maybe he’ll pick up a Super Leaf and go Tanooki mode, or a star and become shiny and invincible. Based on more modern adventures, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Bee Mario or Cat Mario, which was featured prominently in the most recent 3D outing, “Bowser’s Fury.” For some real invincibility in the battle against Bowser, we recommend a Metal Mushroom to become Metal Mario.
Bowser Jr.
Jack Black is voicing Bowser in the “Super Mario Bros.” film, which leads perfectly to the introduction of Bowser Jr. in a cameo role, or potentially in a sequel. The mini villain has been a thorn in Mario’s side in many games, and the combination of him and his much bigger dad could be a formidable threat to the Mushroom Kingdom. Developing Bowser Jr. as a character could also give some dimension to Bowser; what kind of father is he? And more importantly, who is Bowser Jr.’s mother? Plus, the lesser known Koopalings — Larry, Morton, Wendy, Iggy, Roy, Lemmy and Ludwig, could also play a future role in a larger Koopa family.
Yoshi
It wouldn’t be a true Mario movie without Nintendo’s favorite fruit-eating, egg-laying, flutter-jumping dinosaur. Mario’s green companion first appeared in 1990’s “Super Mario World” and has since played a key role in games such as “Super Mario 64,” “Sunshine” and “Galaxy 2.” Of course, Yoshi also hatched his own franchise of quirky video games. As a handy ally who helps Mario defeat enemies and reach greater heights, it would be a shame if Yoshi didn’t “mlem” to the rescue in the “Super Mario Bros.” movie
Daisy, Toadette and Birdo
We know that “Super Mario Bros.” will feature the obvious Mushroom Kingdom squad — Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Bowser and Toad — alongside Donkey Kong, Cranky Kong, Kamek and Spike. But it would only be fair to Luigi and Toad for the movie to include some heroines for them to save, like Princess Daisy and Toadette. And perhaps we’ll even see cameos from other supporting characters in the future, like Birdo, Rosalina and King Boo.
F.L.U.D.D. and Cappy
Throughout the “Mario” franchise, Nintendo has introduced some creative companions to assist the mustachioed hero on his journey. Not only just tools for expanding Mario’s abilities, these helpers become lovable characters themselves. Most notably, “Sunshine’s” hydraulic jetpack, F.L.U.D.D., and “Odyssey’s” personification of Mario’s hat, Cappy, would make for exciting additions to the movie, if only to hear FLUDD’s robotic deadpan voice and Cappy’s adorable “woah’s” as he lets Mario transform into other enemies.
Donkey Kong Throwing Barrels
Seth Rogen’s Donkey Kong was conspicuously absent from the “Super Mario Bros.” trailer, but he’s confirmed to be in the movie, along with Fred Armisen as Cranky Kong. When DK does appear, he better throw barrels at Mario at some point, alluding to Mario’s first appearance in the “Donkey Kong” arcade game. And beyond that, we’d love to see a “Donkey Kong Country” spinoff with the entire Kong family, like Diddy, Dixie, Funky, Lanky, Tiny and Chunky.
Underwater Level
Love them or hate them, water levels are as essential to the “Mario” games as his red hat. The platforming video games are known for their diverse levels and worlds, and in just about every “Mario” game there’s an underwater level filled with Cheep Cheep fish swimming around and Inky squid floating around the murky depths. It seems like there will be an chilly ice world dominated by blue penguins and a fire-and-brimstone Bowser’s Castle world, so it only makes sense that Mario takes a dip into some kind of underwater world.
Mario Kart
“Mario Kart 8 Deluxe” is Nintendo’s bestselling game of all time (bar “Wii Sports,” which came bundled with the console), so it would only make sense to rev up some engines in the “Super Mario Bros.” movie. Maybe on his quest to defeat Bowser and save the Mushroom Kingdom, Mario hops onto a Bullet Bike and races through Bowser’s Castle. Perhaps he even picks up some red and green Koopa shells to throw at his enemies, or brings Toad along in kart “Double Dash” style.
Baby Mario Flashback
Every hero needs a flashback sequence in order to fully understand where they came from and how their childhood affected their life path. Luckily for Mario, he’s got Baby Mario, the ultra-cute, younger version of himself, who also sports a red cap. It doesn’t need to be long, but “Super Mario Bros.” could use a flashback to Mario and Luigi’s younger years and see what led them to become adventurous plumbers. Who knows, maybe we’ll finally meet Mario and Luigi’s parents.
Super Smash Bros.
If Nintendo really wanted to build out the Mario universe, it could treat “Super Mario Bros.” as its “Iron Man” and use it as a launching pad to creating a brand new MCU — the Mario Cinematic Universe. Outside of Mario there are countless other Nintendo franchises that could use movies: “The Legend of Zelda,” “Kirby,” “Metroid,” “ Star Fox” and many more. Let’s turn these hypothetical spin-offs into an “Avengers”-style “Super Smash Bros.” crossover extravaganza.
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