Nintendo and Illumination have offered fans a fresh first look at how Toad will appear in the upcoming The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, revealing an evolution to the beloved Mushroom Kingdom resident. Keegan-Michael Key is once again voicing Toad in the sequel to The Super Mario Bros. Movie, reprising a character who played a surprisingly pivotal role in the first film. The newly unveiled design subtly updates Toad's look while leaning into the film franchise's deep adaptation of Nintendo lore.
Images from upcoming card and board games themed around The Super Mario Galaxy Movie have quietly revealed the first look at Toad's updated design in the sequel. The character sports a noticeable tweak from the first film, including a familiar light added to his toadstool cap that longtime Mario fans will instantly recognize.
The first look comes from the Spin 'N Match children's game (via Epoch Games), where a small panel is shown of the new-look Toad.
The next box, containing a Mario Galaxy Movie-inspired pinball game, offers fans another small glimpse at Toad.
Toad's elevated costuming can also be seen (on a very small scale) on the box art of a balancing game inspired by the upcoming movie.
In The Super Mario Movie, Toad featured his iconic look, featuring the large white and red toadstool cap, his blue vest, and an additional backpack with other supplies.
The brief glimpse revealed through the themed games suggests Toad's new design closely mirrors his Captain Toad appearance from the video games. The addition of the signature light on his toadstool cap appears to emulate Super Mario Galaxy and Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker.
Another close-up shows Toad in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, with an excited look on his face.
The final close-up from the packaging is similar, and the consistency makes it clear that this will likely be his new look for the entirety of the sequel.
In Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, Toad wore a large headlamp, a backpack, and a neckerchief, giving him the look of an endearingly cautious treasure hunter rather than the simple Mushroom Kingdom attendant.
A side-by-side of the game, compared to the new look in the Galaxy movie, shows that the film is adapting the headlamp and neckerchief, but not the full tan outfit.
Beyond Toad's leveled-up return, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is expanding the Mushroom Kingdom with several new characters, including the already confirmed additions of Rosalina (Brie Larson) and Bowser Jr. (Benny Safdie), with even more characters promised to be revealed closer to release.
Nintendo and Illumination have teased that some fan-favorite faces may be saved as surprises, building on the massive success of the first film while setting the stage for a larger Mario cinematic universe. The sequel is officially set to hit theaters in the United States on April 3, 2026, bringing back much of the original voice cast alongside its new additions.
What Will Toad's Role Be in The Mario Galaxy Movie?
If The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is leaning into a Captain Toad-inspired story, it may point to a larger role for Toad beyond assisting Mario (Chris Pratt) and Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy). In the first film, Toad mostly served as a guide, but the new headlamp suggests he could take on a more independent side quest similar to the structure of Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker.
It is already clear that the sequel is not strictly adapting Super Mario Galaxy, with references to games like Super Mario Odyssey appearing in early teases. Because of that broader creative approach, drawing inspiration from additional Mario titles and giving Toad more independence would not be surprising.
Nintendo and Illumination aren't shy about spinning off other characters besides Mario, as Donkey Kong (Seth Rogen) will reportedly not be back in the sequel, but instead could be getting his own spin-off movie. Toad likely won't be getting his own movie any time soon, but a new character arc that winks at his own video games could be something fans rally behind.
