Highlights
- Charles Martinet, the iconic voice actor of Mario for the past 30 years, will be stepping back from performing as Mario in future Super Mario games.
- Nintendo announced on Twitter that Martinet will become a Super Mario brand ambassador, allowing him to travel and interact with fans around the world.
- Fans expressed their gratitude for Martinet's long tenure as Mario's voice and some speculated if the upcoming Super Mario Bros. Wonder game will feature his successor as the new voice of Mario.
Charles Martinet, the longtime voice actor of Mario, will be stepping back from performing in future Super Mario games as the titular character. For the last 30 or so years, Martinet's performance has been the definitive version of Mario's voice.
Martinet has voiced Mario ever since 1996, with his first performance as the iconic gaming hero being Super Mario 64. He has continued to do so for every major release and spin-off afterward, though Chris Pratt was chosen as the voice of Mario for the animated movie that released earlier in 2023. Nintendo has recently announced that Martinet will be stepping back from voicing the iconic character in its games.
This announcement was posted on Nintendo's Twitter, where it acknowledged Martinet's long career as the voice of Mario. It then revealed that Martinet will be moving into a new role as a Super Mario brand ambassador, which will mean he is stepping back from voicing the character full time. The tweet stated it was an honor working with Martinet for such a long time, and that a special video announcement that includes Martinet and Shigeru Miyamoto will be posted in the future.
This doesn't mean he is stepping away from the Super Mario franchise forever, as Martinet will be traveling around the world and interacting with fans in this new role. The actor shared his own bittersweet message on Twitter, stating that everyone is "Numba One" in his heart. Many people who grew up with Martinet as the voice of Mario thanked him for his long tenure as the character's voice, and hoped that he finds success in his new role.
Martinet once stated that he wanted to continue voicing the character for as long as he could, and if he wanted to stop, he'd help Nintendo in finding a successor. Some fans noticed that Mario's voice in the upcoming Super Mario Bros. Wonder sounded a little different, with some wondering if that game will be the last they'll hear of Martinet as Mario, or if it will be potentially the first to feature his successor. For now, this is the end of an era for longtime gamers, with many lamenting that they won't get to hear Martinet voicing Mario in future games.