The Super Mario Galaxy Movie has omitted three major characters from its cast announcement, sparking fears about their future. Video game adaptations are the latest big trend in Hollywood, and The Super Mario Bros. Movie stands tall above the competition as one of the highest-regarded and most successful, raking in over $1.3 billion in 2023. Naturally, Nintendo and Universal Pictures set about making franchise plans, and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie will finally arrive as the sequel in 2026. Of course, the Galaxy Movie is expected to bring back much of the core cast and may introduce some new characters.
Nintendo's official cast announcement for The Super Mario Galaxy Movie confirmed six actors who will reprise their roles in the 2026 sequel. Unfortunately, there were several actors from the first movie not included in the follow-up update, raising concerns about whether they will appear at all.
Looking back to the original cast announcement that shocked the world in 2021, the sequel roster omits three major characters and actors, being Seth Rogen's Donkey Kong, Fred Armisen's Cranky Kong, and Sebastian Maniscalco's Spike.
Notably, Nintendo's confirmation urged fans to "stay tuned for future announcements," meaning more new and returning actors are likely still to come, possibly including Rogen, Armisen, and Maniscalo.
There was a fourth absentee in the original Mario voice actor, Charles Martinet, who played the plumbing duo's father, Giuseppe. However, since then, Martinet has "[stepped] back from recording character voices" for Nintendo and now serves as Mario Ambassador, making his absence unsurprising (via Variety).
When The Super Mario Galaxy Movie hits theaters on April 3, 2026, fans can look forward to more Nintendo fun from Chris Pratt's Mario, Charlie Day's Luigi, Anya Taylor-Joy's Princess Peach, Jack Black's Bowser, Keegan Michael-Key's Toad, and Kevin Michael Richardson's Kamek.
Find out the four epic Mario worlds that have been teased for the 2026 sequel.
Why Super Mario Movie 2 Is Missing Key Characters Explained
Fans think they may have sussed out Rogen's Donkey Kong omission at least, as Nintendo may be looking to double down on its Universal Pictures collaboration with a new spin-off movie, based on a recent copyright filing.
Rogen taking a step back from the flagship Mario franchise would make plenty of sense if he were soon to get the spotlight in his own flick. That would also help explain Armisen's absence, given he was behind Cranky Kong, father to the famous ape, and the two would likely come as a package deal.
The Kongs could still make a cameo appearance, but their absence from the cast line-up leaves it doubtful they will be core characters in the galactic mission.
Meanwhile, Maniscalo played Foreman Spike, a minor villain and former boss to Mario and Luigi at the Wrecking Crew. That said, as he had abandoned his antagonistic ways and come to respect the duo for their heroism in the 2023 original movie, there may be no sizeable room for him in the space sequel.
