Chris Pratt may be one of the biggest stars in the industry, who almost exclusively stars in blockbusters, but he isn’t quite as popular on the internet as he is in Tinseltown. Social media has attempted to make him the latest victim of cancel culture more than once, and the overall reaction to the news he’d voice the title character in Illumination’s animated Super Mario Bros. movie was mixed across the board.
Let’s not forget that Pratt has a strong track record in animation, though, having lent his vocal talents to a trio of projects that all received widespread critical acclaim. The LEGO Movie and sequel The Second Part, along with Pixar’s Onward, allowed him plenty of scope for utilizing his natural charm and charisma to bring an everyman character to life, so he should get the benefit of the doubt for now when it comes to the iconic Italian plumber.
The LEGO Movie‘s co-director Christopher Miller offered his reaction to the news that Pratt and fellow alumni Charlie Day would lead Super Mario Bros. in the most fitting fashion possible, as you can see below.
Pratt’s Mario and Day’s Luigi will be joined by Anya Taylor-Joy’s Princess Peach, Jack Black’s Bowser, Keegan-Michael Key’s Toad, Seth Rogen’s Donkey Kong, Fred Armisen’s Cranky Kong, Kevin Michael Richardson’s Kamek and Sebastian Maniscalco’s Spike, which is one hell of a lineup. With a world famous IP and the studio responsible for Despicable Me and Minions at the helm, Super Mario Bros. is poised to kill it at the box office.