The trailer for The Super Mario Bros. Movie is finally here, and while there have been plenty of highlights that have enticed fans for what’s to come, one aspect of the film has come under fire once again – and you can probably guess what that is.
Fans just aren’t on board with Chris Pratt voicing Mario. This opinion surfaced earlier this year when the cast of the film was first announced, and now that we’ve briefly heard his interpretation of the character, some fans are certain Illumination got it wrong.
While we won’t be picking a side for or against Pratt making the iconic plumber his own in the upcoming adventure, instead we’ll be taking a look at five actors who we believe could have made the perfect Mario in this animated flick instead. Like Pratt, you’ve 100 percent heard of these stars before so here is a look at our top picks.
Jack Black
Fortunately, fans will still get to hear Jack Black in the film — and his Bowser sounds sensational, but the actor would have been the perfect choice to play the film’s leading role. With his diverse skill-set and comedic timing, it’s not hard to imagine how Black would have taken this part and run with it. Still, fans seem to be loving the star’s version of Bowser – so perhaps the cards fell in the right place for Black after all.
Robert De Niro
Over the years, Robert De Niro has shown that he can make any role his own and excel onscreen. With this kind of range, we believe the Oscar winner could have been an excellent choice to play the plumber. Mario needs someone who has both a serious side and great comedic timing, which are skills that De Niro has honed over the years. Furthermore, actually being of Italian descent makes him a logical choice to represent the character onscreen.
Adam Sandler
Lately, Adam Sandler has struggled to craft a hit, but if he were to take on the role of Mario, it might have just been the perfect role. One of the most well-known stars in Hollywood, Sandler would bring name recognition to the production alongside a set of comedic skills that could suit the plumber. He’d also would come to the party with voice acting experience having played Dracula in the Hotel Transylvania franchise. If not Mario, it’s a shame that Sandler wasn’t attached to the project, as he could have made the perfect Waluigi.
Danny DeVito
The internet’s champion, since the cast of Mario, was announced fans have been rioting that the role wasn’t given to Danny DeVito. Not only would DeVito’s style of comedy and voice fit well with the character, but this would also give Always Sunny fans the dream crossover they’ve been wanting – as Charlie Day is locked in to voice Luigi.
In the past, DeVito was eyed for the role of Mario and while it’s decades later, it’s hard to imagine a way that the Italian star wouldn’t make this role his own and gives fans exactly what they want in the process.
Charles Martinet
Without a doubt, the best choice to voice Mario for this film would have been Charles Martinet. Given he is the least well-known name on our list you might not have heard of him, but unlike our other choices, Martinet has been voicing Mario for decades.
When you imagine the voice of Mario – you are quite literally imagining Martinet’s own vocals – and given that the film is completely animated, the star would have seemed like an obvious choice. The first time that Martinet voiced Mario was in the 1006 game Mario’s Game Gallery, and that was followed up a year later with the iconic Nintendo 64 title Super Mario 64.
Thankfully we’ll probably hear a lot more of Martinet in this role through video games to come, but it would have been nice to see the actor finally bring this iconic character to the big screen as the film’s leading man.
