The Super Mario Galaxy Movie continues to be full of surprises following the sighting of an unexpected Nintendo character in the sequel's marketing. Nintendo and Illumination teamed up to bring the world of Mario games to the big screen in 2023, releasing the Super Mario Bros. Movie, which went on to gross over $1 billion at the box office. Nintendo is expanding the universe even further in the sequel, which draws on the Super Mario Galaxy games, and that includes reaching into franchises that aren't just Mario-related.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is already bringing in even more exciting characters from Mario canon, including Yoshi, Bowser Jr., and Rosalina. However, a new promo for the second Mario film reveals just how big the sequel's roster of characters will be. Spotted at around the 5-second mark of the trailer are several Pikmin. These characters are notably not from the Mario franchise, and instead hail from Nintendo's Pikmin games.
The Pikmin are plant-like creatures that players control in the games to explore hostile planets, defeat predators, and seek items like treasure. Their appearance in the Super Mario Galaxy Movie is very similar to that in the games, with the small creatures appearing in vibrant colors and stalks sprouting from their heads.
The characters made their debut in 2001's Pikmin games, with the franchise continuing through to 2023, when the latest instalment, Pikmin 4, was released. Shigeru Miyamoto is the creator behind both the Mario and Pikmin game franchises, and he also serves as a producer on Illumination's Super Mario movies, so this could be the result of input from the famed director.
The confirmation that Pikmin will be in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie marks the second instance of a non-Mario character being featured in the film. The first was confirmed when fans spotted the Super Smash Bros. fighter R.O.B on Super Mario Galaxy Movie merch, and the Nintendo character also makes a blink-and-you'll-miss-it appearance in this latest promo.
Including Pikmin and R.O.B. suggests the Super Mario Galaxy Movie is really leaning into the "galaxy" theme of its title, incorporating characters from outside the Mario universe and even referencing Nintendo itself. Whether this is all leading to something or is just an Easter egg will be revealed when The Super Mario Galaxy Movie releases on April 1.
Why Are Pikmin in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie?
Right now, it's unclear how much of a part the Pikmin will play in the Super Mario Galaxy Movie.
It's not uncommon for Nintendo to hide Easter eggs and crossovers between its major franchises (and in the last Super Mario Bros. Movie). There have been references to Pikmin in Mario games throughout several instalments of the franchise, and it's typically just an instance of a fun Easter egg or harmless cameo that has little bearing on the plot. The same could be said for the Pikmin appearance in Super Mario Galaxy Movie, which may just be an instance of Nintendo winking at fans by referencing its adjacent franchise.
However, the sheer success of the Super Mario Bros. Movie was a clear sign that there was an appetite for Nintendo franchises on-screen, and it's becoming increasingly clear that the company may want to expand its own universe. The Legend of Zelda live-action film is already in production, and rumors of a Donkey Kong-focused project are rampant.
Establishing characters like Pikmin, ROB, and potentially Star Fox in this latest Super Mario Galaxy Movie could be a way for Nintendo to gauge interest in solo projects featuring these characters.
With the Super Mario Galaxy Movie already being such a melting pot of different characters and games from Mario's history, it's an easy canonical entry point to throw in references to other Nintendo games without them seeming too out of place.
