10 Things You NEED to Know Before The Super Mario Galaxy Movie
#10: The Game(s) It’s Based On
It goes without saying that the film is primarily based on 2007’s “Super Mario Galaxy” and its 2010 sequel. “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” won’t be exclusively drawing from those games, however. Retro fans will find nods to classics like “Super Mario Bros. 2,” “Super Mario Bros. 3,” and even “Yoshi’s Island.” For a younger generation raised on “Super Mario Odyssey,” the film includes the Tostarenans from the Sand Kingdom, as well as the realistically rendered T. rex. This won’t be the first acknowledgement of “Super Mario Galaxy” in the film series either. The first movie featured a blue Luma, specifically a Lumalee. These star creatures originated from the 2007 game, although this one is far too excited to meet the Game Over screen.
#9: Power-Ups
Life is like a “? Block.” You never know what you’re gonna get. The previous film introduced Mario to power-ups, granting temporary abilities. Mushrooms help Mario grow (or shrink), Fire Flowers allow him to shoot balls of fury, the Tanooki Suit enables him to fly, and we think the cat suit is self-explanatory. “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” will see Mario and friends experiment with more power-ups. Among them is the fan favorite Frog Suit. Enhancing swimming and jumping, the Frog Suit first appeared in “Super Mario Bros. 3” and then inexplicably wouldn’t make a true comeback until “Super Mario Maker 2” almost thirty years later. Time will only tell if the film features power-ups that debuted in the “Mario Galaxy” games, such as Bee Mario.
#8: Baby Mario & Luigi
In the last movie, Luigi reminisced about how Mario looked out for him even when they were little, mustacheless babies. Baby Mario and Luigi will again appear in “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.” Based on the footage we’ve seen thus far, though, it apparently won’t be another flashback since Toad and Yoshi are present. This could mean two things. Perhaps Mario and Luigi are de-aged at some point in the film, requiring Yoshi to protect them… with a Nintendo Super Scope? This would be similar to the dynamic in “Yoshi’s Island.” It’s also possible that time travel will factor into the plot, meaning the older and younger versions of the Mario Bros. could team up, ala “Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time.”
#7: Birdo
“The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” will mark Birdo’s cinematic debut. Like Mouser, this pink, egg-shooting creature originally wasn’t even supposed to be part of the “Mario Bros.” lore, serving as a boss in “Doki Doki Panic.” Since the original version of “Super Mario Bros. 2” was deemed too difficult for Westerners, they got “Doki Doki Panic” instead, with a few tweaks. Birdo went on to appear in other “Mario” games, sometimes as an antagonist and other times as a companion to characters like Yoshi. Among the gaming community, there’s still an ongoing debate as to whether or not Birdo is a transgender character. Nintendo has never officially given confirmation. Maybe the film will provide insight, although it’s unclear who - if anyone - is voicing Birdo.
#6: Bowser Jr.
When they first appeared in “Super Mario Bros. 3,” the Koopalings were established as Bowser’s seven children. The Koopalings continued to appear in other “Mario” games and media. In recent outings, though, the Koopalings have been retconned as Bowser’s kids, instead serving as underlings. The current canon has established Bowser Jr. as the Koopa King’s only offspring. Bowser Jr. first surfaced in 2002’s “Super Mario Sunshine” under the guise of Shadow Mario. The Koopa Prince framed Mario using a magic brush, bringing whatever he paints into reality. Whether or not Shadow Mario makes an appearance, Bowser Jr. will be dropping in to rescue his incarcerated, shrunken-down father. Not only will he be armed with his paintbrush, but he’ll cruise around in his Junior Clown Car.
#5: Characters We Haven’t Seen… Yet
Much of the core “Mario” cast appeared in the last film, with more set to be introduced here. The verdict is still out on when we’ll see three characters, in particular. Wario was established as a big bad in “Super Mario Land 2,” though he’s now more of a rival and antihero. Since Wario is basically a greedier Mario, it only makes sense there’d be a bizarro Luigi: enter Waluigi, who’s been causing mischief since “Mario Tennis.” Princess Daisy also debuted in the “Super Mario Land” games before “Mario Tennis” made her a more permanent fixture of the franchise, often paired with Luigi. It’s only a matter of time until these three show up, even if it’s not necessarily in “The Mario Galaxy Movie.”
#4: The Kongs
Donkey Kong played a major role in “The Super Mario Bros. Movie.” Also present was his father, King Cranky Kong… with a questionable voice. Though not onscreen long, Diddy Kong, Dixie Kong, Chunky Kong, and several other Kongs could be spotted as well. Despite their presence in the first film, the Kongs have been MIA from the promotional material for “The Mario Galaxy Movie” thus far. This suggests that they won’t prominently factor into the plot, although that doesn’t mean they won’t appear at all. Even if they don’t, there are already rumors circulating about Seth Rogen reprising his role in a Donkey Kong spinoff movie, which would more than compensate for his absence here. Don’t be surprised if that’s teased in a post-credits scene!
#3: Princess Peach’s Origins
Just as Mario and Luigi are originally from Brooklyn, the first film revealed that Princess Peach wasn’t born in the Mushroom Kingdom either. As a baby, she arrived through a pipe and was taken in by the Toads, who made her their princess. Because, why not?! Mario floats the idea that maybe she’s from his world, seeing how they’re both human. Peach responds with a line that, in retrospect, was an obvious setup for the next movie: “There’s a huge universe out there with a lot of galaxies.” “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” will give Peach a chance to explore that universe, potentially answering where she came from. Peach’s parents have never officially appeared in the games. Of course, Mario and Luigi’s parents were also barely seen before the movie gave them a more substantial role.
#2: Rosalina
Brie Larson is voicing Rosalina, perhaps the most significant character to derive from the “Mario Galaxy” games. A princess who looks after the Lumas in the Comet Observatory, Rosalina’s backstory is fleshed out in a storybook. It’s surprisingly kind of a tear-jerker, revealing that Rosalina set out to help a Luma find their mother. As it turns out, Rosalina lost her own mother, ultimately finding solace among the stars. We can only hope that the film will preserve Rosalina’s origin story. Perhaps the movie could even expand upon it, providing a connection between Rosalina and Peach. They have always shared a resemblance, after all. If Peach is indeed from another galaxy, maybe it’s the same one as Rosalina’s.
#1: Yoshi
A herd of Yoshis could be seen running by in “The Super Mario Bros. Movie.” Yet, the green dinosaur that’ll form a lasting bond with Mario didn’t appear… at least, not outside of his egg. At Bowser and Peach’s wedding, one of the gifts was a green-spotted egg. The wedding goes off without a hitch, but it does go off with a bang. This results in the Yoshi egg winding up in Brooklyn’s sewer system. Those who stuck around until the post-credits scene got to see the egg just start to hatch. At some point, the newly hatched Yoshi will make his way to the Sand Kingdom, where a friendship will begin. Yoshi is finally coming to the silver screen… the 1993 version doesn’t count.
Are you looking forward to the “Super Mario Galaxy Movie?” Let us know in the comments.
