Nintendo Warns 'The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2' Might Not Be the Sequel You're Expecting
By Levi Leidy,
1 days ago
A follow-up to 2023’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie is on the way. Or, more accurately, another movie on the video game franchise is on the way. Per Nintendo, it will be "based on the world of the Super Mario Bros. series" but is not necessarily a sequel.
According to Toad voice actor Keegan-Michael Key , the film will feature Nintendo characters that weren’t in the first Super Mario Bros . Movie .
“I feel like what they've done creatively is they've really widened out the universe that these characters live in, and we're going to meet some new folks,” he told Men’s Journal . “We're going to meet some new folks that are old favorites and some folks that I think are really deep cuts, but because of the way the story's laying itself out right now, those characters are going to be very intriguing.”
Here’s more on The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2 , including when you can expect to see it in theaters.
What is the release date for The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2 ?
The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2 will hit U.S. theaters on April 3, 2026.
The CEO of Illumination, one of the companies producing the movie, confirmed an April release date for most regions – with some countries or territories getting it a little later in April. In Japan, for example, Shigeru Miyamoto – the Super Mario Bros. game director at Nintendo – tweeted that the film will be out on April 24, 2026.
Will Chris Pratt be in The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2 ?
So far, none of the voice actors in The Super Mario Bros. Movie have been confirmed for the newest installment. The film is currently in pre-production and few details have been released. But it would be surprising if major cast members like Chris Pratt, who voiced Mario, don’t make a return.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2 cast
Although the cast hasn’t been confirmed for The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2 , it’s likely that many of the actors from the first movie will lend their voices to the second, too. Toad voice actor Keegan-Michael Key has spoken publicly about Movie 2 , meaning he probably has some involvement.
Given what Key revealed about new characters, there will also have to be new voice actors cast. Fans speculate that Nintendo characters who were notably absent from The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023), such as Wario, Waluigi and Daisy, could make an appearance. Since there will also apparently be “deep-cut” characters, this leaves the door open for totally unexpected faces – and voices – which makes the new movie all the more exciting.
If prominent actors from the first movie do, in fact, make a return, here’s what some of the cast will look like.
Chris Pratt as Mario
Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach
Jack Black as Bowser
Charlie Day as Luigi
Keegan-Michael Key as Toad
Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong
Illumination
What is The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2 about?
Since The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2 isn’t being advertised as a sequel, it’s hard to say what the plot will look like. Keegan-Michael Key said in his Men’s Journal interview that this one is “a little broader in scope, and where it takes place is very intriguing lore and the Mario world…They're going to find some really fantastic Easter eggs and it's been very exciting so far.”
This could mean the new movie takes place someplace other than the Mushroom Kingdom. With decades of game lore and settings to explore, the possibilities are pretty much endless. That said, fans have already gone to work speculating.
Reddit user Uncle_Budy wrote , “Calling it now: A new threat arises, and they must go to Bowser, still tiny in prison, to join forces.” Another user, Shuckles116, commented in the same thread, “Give us Wario and Waluigi!”
Some fans even have detailed predictions. Reddit user pocket_arsenal said , “I feel like it will be a loose Super Mario World adaptation. Mario, Luigi and the Princess vacation to the Dinosaur Kingdom. While they are there, the Koopalings cause a bunch of havoc, imprisoning Yoshis in eggs, and while they are distracted in Dinosaur Land, Bowser Junior and Kamek release Bowser from his cage back in the Mushroom Kingdom and restore him to his proper size.”
With so many options to consider, some fans are bound to be thrilled – and others disappointed – when the actual plotline is revealed.
Who is the director of The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2 ?
The directors of the first Super Mario Bros. Movie , Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic , are returning to direct Movie 2 . The pair also directed Teen Titans GO! to the Movies (2018), as well as the Teen Titans Go! series.
Is there a trailer for The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2 ?
There’s no trailer out for The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2 , which is still in pre-production. Fans can expect to get a sneak peek closer to the April 2026, release date.
How to watch The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2
The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2 will be available to watch in theaters in the U.S. on April 3, 2026. After that, depending on how long its theater run extends, it will likely be available to stream.
For reference, The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) was accessible to Netflix subscribers throughout 2024, but recently left the platform for Peacock. Peacock subscribers can watch it from Oct. 3 on.
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