Highlights
- Mario voice actor Charles Martinet is stepping back from the role, marking the end of an era cherished by millions of fans worldwide.
- Martinet's last performance as Mario's father in the Super Mario Bros. film feels fitting as a heartfelt goodbye and represents a transition to a new era of the beloved character.
- While Martinet won't be voicing Mario in future games, he will still be involved with Nintendo in various capacities, and fans can expect him to continue working on other projects.
The final performance of Mario voice actor Charles Martinet stands out as all the more special following the announcement that he's stepping back from the role. Martinet's voice acting for Mario is ingrained in the memory and hearts of millions of Mario fans across the world. All good things come to an end, though, and Martinet is shifting to a different position at Nintendo instead. His last performance as Mario came across as a fun Easter egg, but now feels fitting.
Charles Martinet began his work as Mario for Nintendo in 1991. He's previously said he was the last to audition for the role, and almost missed the opportunity entirely. To start, he did special trade show events where he'd talk with attendees in Mario's voice via a display. His first video game would be the 1992 Super Mario Bros. pinball machine, followed by 1994's Mario Teaches Typing. Most will recall hearing his voice first in Super Mario 64's 1996 release. Martinet has since starred as Mario, Luigi, Wario, Waluigi, and more in well over 100 Nintendo games.
It was announced on Monday that Martinet will be transitioning out of the role of Mario's voice actor, becoming a Mario Ambassador instead. He won't be doing recordings anymore, but will still travel the world for Nintendo events. While it's still possible future projects will use Martinet's voice for Mario in some capacity, right now his final Mario credit is in The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Viewers of the film may not know, but Martinet voiced Mario and Luigi's father. It now stands as a heartfelt goodbye to Martinet, and a moment signifying a transition to a new era of Mario.
Nintendo has already confirmed that the next major Mario game release, Super Mario Wonder, will not feature Martinet's voice work. Nintendo fans had already speculated that Mario's voice in the upcoming Nintendo game was someone new based on early trailers. The new voice actor for Mario has not been named. Despite the new voice acting, Mario's voice is still clearly derived from Martinet's past work.
Martinet has also commented on the news himself. He posted on Twitter, saying, "My new adventure begins! You are all Numba One in my heart! #woohoo !!!!!!!" A recorded video featuring both Martinet and Shigeru Miyamoto will also be shared online in the future. It's clear that while he won't be voicing Mario in games going forward, Martinet himself will still be involved with Nintendo in various capacities.
While Martinet's last Mario credit is in the Super Mario Bros. film, his last video credit is also somewhat of a surprise. It's Mario + Rabbids Spark of Hope, the Ubisoft-published tactical game. Martinet voiced both Mario and Luigi in the project. Don't expect Martinet to give up voice acting altogether, of course. He still appears to be working on other projects, like voicing Magenta for Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero. It's not quite Mario, but it's special, too.