Super Mario Bros.is probably the most cherished game in history. This platform game, developed by Nintendo, was released in 1985 as the successor to the arcade gameMario Bros.and it became the first in theSuper Marioseries. It features brothers Mario and Luigi, who must travel through the Mushroom Kingdom in order to rescue Princess Peach Toadstool from King Koopa/Bowser, whilst facing many dangers. This video game is considered to be one of the best of all time, and partly a key factor in the post-1983 crisis reactivation of the video game industry. It became so popular, indeed, that Mario quickly rose to become Nintendo’s leading icon, and one of the world’s best-known video game characters.
The huge success ofSuper Mario Bros.led to several remakes, animated series, TV shows, and even movies. Among the best known, we can highlight the 1986 animated film, which was recentlyrestored in 4K, and the 1993 live action, starring John Leguizamo and Bob Hoskins, a production that wasnot very well receivedat the time of its release. In 2018, however, Nintendo and Ilumination announced a newSuper Mario Bros.movie, surprising and delighting the fans. The cast of this upcoming production is made up of Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Day, Jack Black, Keegan-Michael Key, and Seth Rogen, among others, although choosing Pratt as the voice of Mario led to someaudience criticism and backlash.
While the film’s premiere was announced for August 09, 2025, it has beendelayed to Easter 2023. As we wait for the premiere, let’s take a look back at some of the cast members' careers, and their most important roles to date.
Chris Pratt
Chris Prattwill be heading the production as the voice of Mario. The actor who rose to notoriety through his role inParks and Recreation, and has since had a wealth of experience leading casts. Among his most notable roles are Star-Lord, also known as Peter Quill, in theGuardians of the Galaxyfilms and Emmet Brickowski inThe Lego Movieand its sequel, all of which became box office hits. By 2015, Pratt additionally took on the role of Owen Grady forJurassic World, the fourth installment of theJurassic Parkfranchise, reprising the role for the sequels in 2018 and 2022.
Related:Super Mario Bros.: Cast, Plot, and Everything Else We Know
Anya Taylor-Joy
By 2021,Anya Taylor-Joywas listed byTIMEmagazine as one of the emerging leaders who are shaping the future, and when considering her recent projects, we can easily agree with them. The actress, who made a brilliant film debut in 2015 in the horror movieThe Witch, kept herself very busy the last few years by taking part in productions that turned into blockbuster hits. Among her most important projects, it is worth mentioning her leading role in the Netflix miniseriesThe Queen’s Gambit, which earned her, among other awards, a Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award, as well as her role as Gina Gray from season five ofPeaky Blinders. In the upcomingSuper Mario Bros.movie, she will voice Princess Peach.
Charlie Day
Charlie Dayis set to play Luigi in the film. The actor, writer, and producer is best known for his role as Charlie Kelly in the sitcomIt’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, a show that started in 2005 and has been running for 15 seasons. Besides his work in television, Day has ventured into the movie industry, taking part in films such asHorrible Bosses,Monsters University, andThe Lego Movie. He was also the mastermind behind the comedy seriesMythic Questalongside Megan Ganz and Rob McElhenney.
Jack Black
Actor, comedian, musician, and songwriterJack Blackis already a familiar face in the comedic genre, with some of his best-known films beingSchool of RockandBernie, both of which earned him Golden Globe nominations,Shallow Hal,The Holiday, andKung Fu Panda, as well as his role in the filmsJumanji: Welcome to the JungleandJumanji: The Next Level. Apart from his work as an actor, Black is the lead singer of Tenacious D, a band he co-founded with Kyle Gass, and whose success led to the release of four albums, a TV series, and a movie. InSuper Mario Bros., Black will portray Bowser.
Keegan-Michael Key
Keegan-Michael Key, who will voice Toad in the film, played smaller roles in hit series such asParks and RecreationandPitch Perfect 2, and also lent his voice to several children’s characters in productions such asHotel Transylvania 2& 3,The Angry Birds Movie,Toy Story 4, andThe Lion King. Having created and starred alongside Jordan Peele in Comedy Central’sKey & Peele, which ran for five seasons, he reprised his duo with Peele in 2016 in the comedy-action filmKeanu.
Related:Highest-Grossing Video Game Movie Adaptations of All Time
Seth Rogen
Seth Rogenwas chosen to portray the iconic Donkey Kong, but this is not his first time lending his voice for animated films: Rogen took part in hits such asShrek the Third,Horton Hears a Who!,Kung Fu Panda,Monsters vs. Aliens, and the 2019 remake ofThe Lion King, among others. Some other well-known films that form part of his portfolio include50/50,Steve Jobs,Knocked Up, andThe 40-Year-Old Virgin. Over the course of his career, Rogen has also taken on directing, producing and screenwriting roles in a number of projects, such asThis is the End,Superbad, andPineapple Express.
Fred Armisen
Fred Armisenis a star who has contributed greatly to comedy over the years, contributing to the creation of series such asPortlandia,Documentary Now!, andMoonbase 8. Among his most memorable roles in TV shows are Robert Durst inThe Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidtand Mlepnos inBrooklyn Nine-Nine, while in movies he was featured inBand Aid,Eurotrip, andEasy A. InSuper Mario Bros., the co-creator of the ThunderAnt website, a compilation of his comedy sketches along with his comedy partner Carrie Brownstein, will voice Cranky Kong.
Kevin Michael Richardson
Kevin Michael Richardsonwas chosen to play Kamek in the film, which adds yet another project to his repertoire of films featuring his deep, distinctive voice for all kinds of characters. While Richardson has appeared in a number of movies and series, Richardson is best known for his work as a voice actor, participating in hits such asMortal Kombat, in which he voiced Goro,Lilo & Stitch,The Matrix Revolutions,Trolls World Tour, andThe Wild Thornberrys Movie.
Sebastian Maniscalco
Stand-up comedian and actorSebastian Maniscalcoboasts five comedy specials to his credit, yet he still tried his hand as an actor, taking part in a number of television and film productions. Among his most outstanding performances is his role as Crazy Joe inThe Irishman, as well as his parts inGreen BookandCruise. In addition, he was one of the comedians featured in Vince Vaughn’sWild West Comedy Show: 30 Days & 30 Nights - Hollywood to the Heartland, the documentary film directed by Ari Sandel. InSuper Mario Bros., Maniscalco will voice Foreman Spike.
