Will Chris Pratt Voice Mario In Super Mario Bros. Wonder? What We Know So Far
Mario has lost his iconic voice.
"Mario" fans who logged onto social media this morning were devastated to learn that Charles Martinet, who has voiced the character since 1991, is retiring from the role. "Charles Martinet has been the original voice of Mario in Nintendo games for a long time, as far back as 'Super Mario 64,'" the company wrote in a statement posted on Twitter. "Charles is now moving into the brand-new role of Mario Ambassador," the statement continued, teasing Martinet's future commitments. Martinet quoted Nintendo's statement on the social media site, writing, "My new Adventure begins! You are all Numba One in my heart! #woohoo!!!!!!!"
With Martinet now retired from the role, many are speculating as to who will replace Mario in the upcoming "Super Mario Bros. Wonder" game, which is set to debut on October 20 for the Nintendo Switch console. Nintendo confirmed to Polygon that Martinet will not voice the titular character in the upcoming 2D side-scrolling game, making 2022's "Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope" the last game with the voice actor in the lead role. Now that Martinet isn't voicing Mario, Nintendo fans are curious to know who will replace the beloved voice actor. With "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" standing out as billion-dollar juggernaut at the box office, is it possible that Nintendo is giving Chris Pratt the Mario gig in the upcoming "Super Mario Bros. Wonder"?
Pratt voiced the iconic plumber in "The Super Mario Bros. Movie," a creative decision that originally received mixed reception from fans. Following the film's release, many warmed up to Pratt's interpretation of the Italian-American icon. With Pratt now a key part of the "Mario" multimedia franchise, it's unclear if he'll voice the plumber outside of the character's big screen apperances.
Chris Pratt probably won't voice Mario in the games
Following Nintendo's announcement regarding Charles Martinet, many fans (mostly jokingly) began to speculate that the "Super Marios Bros. Wonder" gig was now Chris Pratt's for the taking. "imagine booting up 'Super Mario Odyssey 2' next year and hearing Chris Pratt going 'Bing Bing, Wahoo!'" joked Twitter user @KrisWolfheart. "This is sad that Charles Martinet is no longer voicing Mario," wrote @NathanB74243481. "I wouldn't be surprised if they replace him with Chris Pratt." It would definitely be peak brand synergy if Pratt voiced the character in future video games featuring Mario, but it's unlikely that the actor will take the role.
While it's unclear what Pratt was paid to voice the titular character in "The Super Mario Bros. Movie," the American actor has previously commanded whopping salaries for his starring roles. Forbes reported back in 2016 that the actor nabbed $12 million for appearing in the sci-fi romance film "Passengers." In 2018, Variety suggested that Pratt received $10 million to star in the billion-dollar grossing "Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom." When one considers that Pratt has successfully headlined multiple billion-dollar grossing films, it's fair to say that he's used to solid paycheques.
Details are slim on Martinet's paycheques for voicing Mario, but it wouldn't be all too surprising to assume that he doesn't command the same lucrative paydays as Pratt. Bluntly put: Nintendo likely can't afford Pratt as the sole voice of Mario. Beyond that, Pratt's take on the character is far more nuanced than Martinet's because of the character development that the "Mario Bros. Movie" commanded. While Martinet's voice isn't in the trailer for "Super Mario Bros. Wonder," the new voice does sound sort of similar to the original voice actor.
"Super Mario Bros. Wonder" hits store-shelves and the Nintendo eShop on October 20.