Mario Has a New Voice Actor in 'Super Mario Bros. Wonder'
Oct. 16 2023, Updated 6:58 p.m. ET
The Gist:
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder will be the first mainline Mario game where the titular character will have a voice actor other than Charles Martinet.
- Charles has been the longstanding voice actor for the Italian plumber in most of Nintendo's Mario games.
- Kevin Afghani was finally revealed to be the voice actor for both Mario and Luigi in Super Mario Bros. Wonder.
After the Super Mario Bros. Wonder announcement trailer, longtime fans noticed Mario sounded off. Catchphrases from the red-capped plumber were different, and newer lines didn’t sound like Charles Martinet behind the mic.
Charles has been the voice actor for Mario, an integral personality bringing life to the character in the games. Unfortunately, Nintendo confirmed he would be “stepping back” from the role to take up a Mario Ambassador position. Moreover, Charles wasn’t involved in Super Mario Bros. Wonder.
The new voice actor has yet to be revealed officially, but that hasn’t stopped fans from speculating who might continue the character’s legacy in Super Mario Bros. Wonder. Here's what we found out.
Who voices Mario in 'Super Mario Bros. Wonder'? Kevin Afghani was cast in the role.
After much speculation, voice actor Kevin Afghani announced on Twitter that he had booked the role of both Mario and Luigi in the new game.
"Incredibly proud to have voiced Mario and Luigi in Super Mario Bros. Wonder. Thanks to Nintendo for inviting me into the Flower Kingdom!" he tweeted on Oct. 13.
Though he is not who players originally thought took over the voice for the titular Nintendo icon, his replies were filled with congrats from many longtime Nintendo fans.
It's currently unclear if Kevin will continue to voice Mario in all of the upcoming video games featuring the plumber, it's likely we wont see this casting change much in the coming years, given how long Charles had the role.
Nintendo fans had plenty of guesses as to who could be the new voice actor.
Fans had a wide variety of guesses for who could take over in Super Mario Bros. Wonder. That could even extend to celebrities or actors like Chris Patt, who voiced the plumber for The Super Mario Bros. film. As mentioned, no one is sure who fits the bill, but a fan seems convinced that impressionist Brian Hull might be voicing Mario in Wonder.
On a Reddit thread, the fan discussed listening to Brian do an impression of Mario in a YouTube video, which sounded like the performance in the Super Mario Bros. Wonder trailers.
“For me, my bets are on Brian Hull being the new voice … I listen very closely, and he sounds almost identical to the voice in the trailer party game, so I think it must be him,” the fan wrote. “I could be wrong, though.”
Mario's newest adventure will be unveiled in Super Mario Bros. Wonder, bringing the character and his cohort of companions to the Flower Kingdom for the first time. In our preview of the game, we teased some of the wacky and fantastical features showcased in the upcoming title.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder is scheduled to release exclusively for the Nintendo Switch on Oct. 20.
