Jack Black reveals the wholesome reason he took on the role of Bowser in ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’

As reviews roll in for The Super Mario Bros. Movie, one thing’s for certain — Jack Black stands out as the ultimate video game baddie, Bowser the king of the Koopas. Mario fans have been anticipating Black as Bowser after clips of the character went viral shortly after the first trailers dropped. It’s clear Black is enthusiastic about playing Bowser but surprisingly, he didn’t know much about the character until fairly recently.

In an interview with People, Black revealed he would never have played Bowser if not for his sons. Although Black has always been a huge fan of the original Nintendo games, he didn’t know much about the extended Mario universe.

“Donkey Kong was such a huge part of my childhood. But my boys first introduced me to Bowser because I didn’t even play that until they were playing their Nintendo Switches. That’s when I really got into Super Mario Bros. with them.”

“Bowser was obviously the coolest character in the universe,” Black shared during his interview, “And when I got the offer, it was an instant no-brainer.” It’s clear the internet agrees; The Super Mario Bros. Movie might be receiving mixed reviews, but even the harshest critics are praising Black for his portrayal of Mario’s arch-nemesis. Although new to being a Mario fan, Black has thrown himself into the role and is even interested in exploring a Bowser solo film if a Super Mario Bros. extended cinematic universe is in the cards.

While it’s surprising Black has never delved into the wonderful world of Mario games until relatively recently, it was clearly his destiny to step into Bowser’s shell. Black’s two sons, Samuel “Sammy” Jason, 16, and Thomas “Tommy” David, 14, are excited to see their dad play the iconic villain after introducing him to the character. The actor admits his kids aren’t usually too interested in his films — saying, “I’m not one of those parents that forces them to watch my movies” — but acknowledges it “should be fun” to star in a film his kids are looking forward to seeing.

Now that Black is invested in the Mario universe, he admits there’s one game he’s gotten particularly talented at playing. According to him, he’s “pretty darn good at [Mario Kart], if I don’t say so myself.” Black won’t be calling himself the “the top crème de la crème” just yet, but says he’d readily beat any average Mario Kart player any day of the week. We’re sure his sons are proud!

You can catch The Super Mario Bros. Movie in theaters now.