The Super Mario Bros. Movie is here, and not only has Chris Pratt teased what a sequel might bring, but details of the film's post-credits scenes have arrived.
Illumination Entertainment's jaunt through the Mushroom Kingdom has been long-awaited amongst fans as Hollywood looks to Nintendo's beloved plumber for the first time in 30 years.
The film will turn the typical Mario story on its head, with Pratt's Mario teaming up with Anya Taylor-Joy's Princess Peach to save his brother, Charlie Day's Luigi.
While much has been revealed about the upcoming video game adaptation (including its lean runtime), there are surely still some secrets hidden in what could be a massive franchise starter.
How Many End-Credits Scenes Are In Super Mario Bros?
Speaking in a recent interview with CBR, The Super Mario Bros. Movie star Chris Pratt teased the post-credits scene of his newly-released animated film.
The star revealed that at the end of the movie fans will be given "a taste of what [a] sequel could be about:"
“Listen, there’s like, at the end of the film, there’s a post-credit sequence that gives you a taste of what the sequel could be about. And that gets me very, very excited....”
While a sequel for the film is not yet confirmed, it seems the Illumination Entertainment team is betting on receiving a greenlight on a Mario Bros. 2 film soon.
As for what fans can expect at the end of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, the movie contains two post-credits tags.
But what happens in each?
Some Light Mid-Credits Fun
Warning - the rest of this article contains spoilers for The Super Mario Bros. Movie.
Halfway through the credits, the movie takes the opportunity to give audiences one last laugh.
The singing voice of Jack Black's Bowser starts up as the film's villain beings belting out a new version of his love song to Princess Peach, all while slaying it on piano. It starts to look like this gag could turn into a longer performance specifically for the credits, but the all-black background eventually snaps into focus.
It's revealed that Bowser is still a miniature turtle, locked away with his piano in a hanging cage. His singing irritates one of Peach's Toad guards, who gives the villain a good poke with his halberd for good measure.
Planting an Egg for the Franchise's Next Installment
When the credits stop rolling for a second time, audiences are taken back into the sewers where Mario made his first trip to the Mushroom Kingdom.
But now, in the midst of the many NYC underground pipes, there's a very iconic egg getting ready to hatch a certain someone: the one and only Yoshi.
Before audiences get to see any of the fan-favorite dino, the screen cuts to black. Unfortunately, fans will have to wait until a hypothetical sequel before Yoshi becomes a reality.
Some of the character's species can actually briefly be seen earlier in the film when Mario and Peach are starting their journey, as they breeze through what is likely Yoshi's homeland of Dinosaur Island. However, it is clear that none of those particular dinos are green, and therefore not Yoshi himself.
While the main characters might have only breezed through Dinosaur Island briefly this time around, perhaps the sequel will revisit it for a more extensive visit.
What's Next in The Super Mario Bros. Movie's Sequel?
Obviously, the fact that Yoshi is teased will please fans everywhere.
The character was first introduced in 1990's Super Mario World. Yoshi not only served as Mario's trusted steed but also as a loyal sidekick to the titular hero and his brother, Luigi.
Given that, it's obvious why Universal chose this setup over other possibilities.
Sure, some might have been hoping more for either Link or Kirby, but fans certainly shouldn't rule out their eventual involvement. Yoshi was originally an integral part of Mario's origin story as revealed by the game Yoshi's Island, caring for the yet-to-be plumber when he was a baby.
With the movie's version of Mario and Luigi having a family to come back to, Yoshi's role will likely take a very different role in a possible sequel.
Given all the talk about Luigi's Mansion, from the actors and the studios, it's surprising there wasn't a more blatant tease towards that possibility—besides Luigi's insanely creepy introduction following his journey through everyone's favorite green pipe and a blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo from the game's villain, King Boo.
Part of that is probably due to the theoretical tale not including much Mario in it, so it could serve better as a completely separate standalone outing. Of course, there is also always the chance that Universal is planning to start up its own Super Smash Bros. cinematic universe, giving Pratt's Mario his own Avengers moment.
There's also the Bowser of it all. While he might be small and defeated now, he's never down and out for long.
After all, it just wouldn't be right to have a Mario movie without Bowser.
Whatever the big villain might have planned next, perhaps it'll include Bowser Jr. and the Koopalings.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie hits theaters worldwide on April 5.
