Highlights
- Charles Martinet's iconic run as the voice of Mario in Super Mario Bros. is coming to an end, leading to somber responses from fans.
- The identity of the new voice actor for Mario has been kept a secret by Nintendo, but a leaked list suggests it could be Mick Wingert.
- Other characters in the game, such as Princess Daisy, Princess Peach, Bowser, and Bowser Jr., will reportedly be reprised by their previous voice actors.
[UPDATE: Kevin Afghani has confirmed his role as Mario in Super Mario Bros. Wonder, dispelling rumors of Mick Wingert voicing the character. More on Afghani's role as Mario can be found here. The original story can be found below.]
A recent datamine might have uncovered the actor who is voicing Mario in Super Mario Bros. Wonder: Mick Wingert. The release of Nintendo’s next 2D platformer next week will be a bittersweet moment for many Mario fans, as it marks the end of Charles Martinet’s legendary run as the famed plumber. Martinet has provided Mario’s iconic catchphrases for about as long as the Super Mario games have had voice acting, and the announcement that he would be stepping down from the role earlier this year was met with somber responses from those who grew up with his performance.
While Charles Martinet will continue to represent the Super Mario franchise in live events as an ambassador for Nintendo, Mario and the other characters he once voiced will be played by new actors starting with Super Mario Bros. Wonder. Naturally, there has been much speculation about who will don Mario’s signature red plumber’s cap, but Nintendo itself has kept the identity of his new voice actor under wraps. Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser even stated that there would be no official announcement regarding Mario’s new voice until Super Mario Bros. Wonder launches on October 20, but some fans might have unraveled the mystery ahead of time.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder is Playable Right Now at Some Walmart Locations
A playable demo for Super Mario Bros. Wonder is now available at Walmart and other retailers for those eager to give the upcoming platformer a try.
According to VGC, an unverified list of voice actors for Super Mario Bros. Wonder surfaced on forums like 4Chan and Resetra earlier this week. This list was reportedly obtained by an unnamed user who somehow gained access to Super Mario Bros. Wonder’s kiosk demo and modified it to access information not meant to be seen by the public. While no specific characters were listed in the leak, forum users have deduced through the process of elimination that Mario’s new voice actor could be Mick Wingert.
Wingert is a fairly active player in the world of video game voice acting, having contributed his talents to titles like Genshin Impact, Marvel’s Spider-Man, and Kingdom Hearts 3 in recent years. Outside of gaming, he has voiced Tony Stark and his alter-ego Iron Man in various Marvel cartoons and Po in Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness among countless other performances.
In addition to Mario being played by Mick Wingert, fans suspect that Kevin Afghani (known for playing Arnold in Genshin Impact) is voicing the talking flowers players will encounter in Super Mario Bros. Wonder. Not everyone has been recast, as longtime Mario alumni Deanna Mustard will supposedly return as the now-playable Princess Daisy. The leaked list also notes that Samantha Kelly (who voices Princess Peach, Toad, and Toadette), Kenny James (aka the voice of Bowser), and Caety Sagoian (who plays Bowser Jr) will all reprise their roles in Super Mario Bros. Wonder.
Of course, this is only a leaked list of vocal performances from an unverified source, so it should all be taken with a grain of salt until Super Mario Bros. Wonder is released next week. Whoever takes over the role of Mario from Charles Martinet will undoubtedly have big shoes to fill, and if this latest rumor is correct then that actor could be video game veteran Mick Wingert. He has certainly demonstrated a wide range in his many gaming roles over the years, and it will be interesting to see if he is indeed the new voice of Nintendo’s mascot going forward.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder launches on October 20, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.
