Several big-name main characters from the Mario franchise were omitted from The Super Mario Bros. Movie; because of this, the Super Mario Movie 2 needs to include them.
First released in 2023, The Super Mario Bros. Movie wowed audiences upon its debut, ushering viewers into an animated take on Nintendo's beloved Mushroom Kingdom and breaking a whole whack of box office records while doing it.
That, however, was seemingly just the beginning for the Mario movie franchise, as a sequel was quickly greenlit with an April 6, 2026 release date being eyed by the team at Illumination.
8 Main Characters The Mario Movie 2 Should Include
While The Super Mario Bros. Movie did a fantastic job of harkening back to some major Mario easter eggs (check out all the Mario Movie easter eggs here), the film was missing some big names.
Hopefully, this can be rectified in The Super Mario Movie 2 with the introduction of these iconic Mario franchise main characters:
Yoshi
As teased in The Super Mario Bros. Movie post-credits scene, Yoshi feels like the most likely new character set to arrive in the 2026 sequel. Fans will remember that Yoshi's iconic green-spotted egg could be seen in the sewers below Brooklynn during that exciting post-credits stinger, meaning he is likely on the way.
Since his introduction in 1990's Super Mario World, Yoshi has been a Mario franchise mainstay, serving as the titular plumber's trusty dinosaur sidekick on many adventures.
Wario
While Mario and co. squared off against the dastardly King of the Koopas, Bowser, in the first Mario Movie, the upcoming sequel could go a different direction with its villains. Seldom has Mario not gone toe-to-toe with Bowser in his over 200 video game appearances, but when he has, it is almost always up against the conniving Wario.
Wario is an almost mirror image of Mario, essentially being a chubbier purple-and-yellow of the series' figurehead. Seeing as Bowser is off licking his wounds after the first movie's events, it would make sense to introduce Wario (and his lanky purple-overalled partner Waluigi).
Waluigi
If Wario is in The Super Mario Movie 2, Waluigi will surely come alongside him. While Waluigi is rarely seen taking on Mario himself (with their battles usually taking place alongside other Nintendo characters in their various karting and sporting spin-offs), he is almost always paired with Wario.
This would also present an excellent foil to Mario's brother Luigi, allowing the brothers to have a big bad to take on as opposed to the single threat of King Koopa.
Daisy
Another Luigi-themed introduction that feels primed for the Mario Movie sequel is the lovable Princess Daisy. While Mario got his iconic love interest from the games in the first movie, Luigi was left in the wings waiting to find a badass princess of his own. So, why not bring that dynamic into the fray with Peach's royal cousin, Daisy?
She feels like a perfect fit for the franchise, typically being the more energetic of the two Mario series princesses. This could be an exciting new element to the Mario Movie's core team of heroes as they take on whatever new threat looms over the Mushroom Kingdom.
Rosalina
First introduced in 2007's Super Mario Galaxy, Rosalina has quickly become a core member of the Mario family. She is best known for occupying the cosmos and being the adoptive mother of the Lumas (the species of sentient stars seen throughout the Mario franchise).
Some seem to think Rosalina's introduction has already been teased in the Mario movies. In the first film, Peach looks up to the stars, telling Mario, "There's a huge universe out there, with a lot of galaxies." This could have been a tease to the series heading to the stars, potentially setting up a character like Rosalina.
Bowser Jr.
If Bowser wants to come back with a vengeance after having his plans foiled by the Mario Brothers in the first movie, then why not do it with a trusty sidekick of his own, Bowser Jr.? Sometimes known as Kid Koopa, Bowser Jr. is the leader of the Koopa Kids (aka a team of evil Koopas/possibly Bowser's children).
Like Wario and Waluigi, Bowser Jr.'s introduction to the Mario Movie franchise just makes sense, especially as the series begins to up its villain game from the first movie.
Birdo
While usually associated with Yoshi, Nintendo's pink dinosaur Birdo predated Mario's trusty green sidekick. Birdo was introduced in the original Super Mario Bros. 2 game (or at least the one that came to the United States), so incorporating the egg-shooting dino into the Mario Movie 2 could serve as a bit of symmetry across the brand.
It would be interesting to see what a team like Illumination would do with Birdo on screen. The character is mainly known for being a fairly wordless, sassier version of Yoshi, sporting a pink bow atop her head and a vacuum cleaner-esque mouth. This essentially offers Illumination a blank slate to do as it sees fit with the character in the movie universe.
Toadette
Toads were plentiful in the first Mario film, voiced by the venerable Keegan Michael-Key; however, noticeably absent was the Toad-adjacent Toadette. Toadette was first seen in Mario Kart: Double Dash as a female version of Toad sporting a pink mushroom cap and long pink pigtails.
What makes Toadette's inclusion in The Mario Movie 2 almost sure is that she was seemingly teased in the first film. During one of the Peach's Castle scenes, a picture on the wall seems to include the character, essentially confirming her existence in the universe. A big-screen debut feels imminent.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2 is set for release on April 6, 2026 (read more about the Mario Movie sequel).
