Mario and Luigi look better than ever, as The Super Mario Galaxy Movie debuts a first glimpse at the characters' new power-ups coming to the upcoming film. Nearly every pixel or polygon of Nintendo's beloved Mario series has become iconic, but few things are more signature to the series than its various item-based power-ups. These pick-ups, which often pop out of the franchise's question blocks, transform Mario and friends into a wholly new form, granting them some souped-up abilities along the way.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie franchise has done a pretty fantastic job at bringing these legendary power-up items to the big screen so far. In just the first film in the franchise, fans got a taste of the Super Mario, Star Mario, and Tanooki Mario, all mainstays of the Mario games. But one quintessential Mario form evaded fans in the 2023 blockbuster: Fire Flower Mario.
Nintendo and Illumination Entertainment are ready to recify that for the sequel, at least according to a new announcement from the upcoming film. In its recent promotion of a new Super Mario Galaxy Movie Direct announcement stream, Nintendo revealed a first look at both Fire Mario and Fire Luigi in the Mario Movie world.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie teaser image shows Chris Pratt's Mario and Charlie Day's Luigi standing together in their white Fire Flower forms, holding the iconic power-up's legendary fireballs.
Fire Flower Mario dates back to the original Super Mario Bros., which was released on the Nintendo Entertainment System (known as the Famicom in Japan) in September 1985. Since then, the iconic power-up has appeared in every mainline Mario platformer (both 2D and 3D) except Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Land.
Fans had previously seen the Fire Flower used by Donkey Kong (Seth Rogan) in the first film; however, neither of the Mario brothers used the power-up in the movie, instead opting for other in-game items.
The official Super Mario Galaxy Movie trailer showed a full look at the brother's fire flower power. In the trailer, the duo enter a pyramid in Tostarena (one of the lands from Mario Odyssey) and they take out fire flowers in order to help light the way.
Instead of eating the fire flowers like they do the super mushrooms, the Mario brothers just crush the fire flowers in their hands to gain the fire power-up.
The Biggest New Additions to The Super Mario Galaxy Movie
Fire Flower Mario on the big screen has been a long time coming for fans, so it is exciting that it is finally here. However, the oft-celebrated Mario power-up is far from the only new addition headed for The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.
One key area the upcoming film will expand on is its cast of characters from across the Mario video game franchise. The Super Mario Bros. Movie laid the foundation of baseline Mario characters, bringing names like Mario, Luigi, Peach, Bowser, and DK to the screen. Galaxy is set to build upon that.
The movie has already confirmed that it will feature the star-faring Princess Rosalina (Brie Larson) and the sinister Bowser Jr. (Benny Safdie) as two significant new additions to its colorful ensemble.
While Rosalina and Kid Koopa were two of the biggest new characters coming, Nintendo assured audiences that "additional characters...will be announced at a later date:"
"Additional characters and voice cast for 'The Super Mario Galaxy Movie' will be announced at a later date."
Mario Movie star Chris Pratt followed up on this in a recent interview with GamesRadar+, disclosing that, "Yes, there are" unannounced characters from the games coming in the film, but he's "not allowed to say what they are:"
"Oh, yes, there are,I'm not allowed to say what they are, but yes, there are some really incredible… Well, I think some of them have been released in the trailer – Rosalina, Bowser Jr. – and then there's even a couple more that are not in the trailer that people should be excited to see."
On top of characters, there are literally dozens of other power-ups, levels, and musical easter eggs that could pop up in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.
