‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’: What to Expect

Since the release of Nintendo’s Super Mario Bros. in 1985, Mario has become a household name and a beloved character. In 2023, Nintendo and Illumination released “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” and it became the second highest grossing film of the year. This April, fans and moviegoers will experience another fun and nostalgic adventure with their favorite characters in “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.”

Since the release of “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” fans have been awaiting a sequel, and they sure have a lot to look forward to. In an interview with GamesRadar, Jack Black, who voices King Bowser, said those who love the Super Mario Galaxy Universe “will be very pleased with the way that it’s been brought to the big screen.” So in preparation, let us revisit the first film and the Super Mario Galaxy games to explore what we might expect from “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.”

The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)

In “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” Mario (Chris Pratt) and Luigi (Charlie Day) are brothers who work as plumbers in Brooklyn, New York. Wanting a chance to prove that they can succeed in their plumbing business, the brothers head to where a major water leak is flooding the city. While exploring underground, Mario and Luigi come across a green pipe that transports them to another world.

Unfortunately, while traveling through the pipe, the brothers become separated. Luigi finds himself in the Dark Lands, ruled by King Bowser (Jack Black), while Mario lands in the Mushroom Kingdom, where he meets Toad (Keegan-Michael Key). Together, they go to the castle to see Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) with the hope that she can help find and rescue Luigi.

There are countless references to Nintendo’s Super Mario games. We see well-known characters like Donkey Kong and Kamek, as well as Goombas and Koopa Troopas. We’re taken to familiar locations like the Mushroom Kingdom, where we see plenty of Toads, pipes, mushrooms, and, of course, Princess Peach’s iconic castle. The scene of Mario’s training is a blast of fun and nostalgia for anyone who loves the games, as it feels like you’re playing a level.

Even Charles Martinet, the original voice of Mario, makes an appearance in the film. As the voice of Giuseppe, a Brooklyn citizen, he imitates the brothers’ Italian accents in the iconic Super Mario voice. And, he does this while playing on the arcade machine for Jump Man, the game in which Mario’s character originated.

Composed by Brian Tyler, “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” soundtrack references so many songs from the Super Mario games. The song “Buckle Up” features a tiny piece of the Rainbow Road theme from the 1992 SNES Super Mario Kart. Songs like “Strange New World” and “Welcome to the Mushroom Kingdom” reference the Super Mario 64 song “Inside the Castle Walls” — a classic. And of course, “Level Complete,” which plays during the credits, is a beautifully orchestrated medley of Super Mario favorites.

Super Mario Galaxy

Super Mario Galaxy is a 3D platform game by Nintendo from 2007. In this game, Bowser attacks the Mushroom Kingdom and takes Princess Peach’s castle into outer space. After attempting to save Peach, Mario is struck by Kamek’s wand and transported to another planet. When he awakens, he meets the starlike species called Lumas and the protector of the cosmos, Rosalina.

Power Stars provide Rosalina’s Comet Observatory with energy to run. But, because Bowser stole the stars, the observatory is unable to function. To power up the observatory again, Mario journeys through galaxies and planets, defeating enemies and collecting Power Stars and Grand Stars. Along the way, he encounters objects like launch stars and star bits, as well as characters like Lumas, honeybees and even Bowser Jr.

Super Mario Galaxy 2 was released in 2010 and acts as a sequel to the first game. It follows a very similar story, with Mario retrieving Power Stars to save Peach from Bowser. Rather than Rosalina’s observatory, however, this game takes place on Starship Mario, a spacecraft used to travel to different planets. Lubba, a friendly purple Luma, accompanies Mario throughout the game. Yoshi, the familiar Nintendo character, also plays a significant role in the game and is undoubtedly one of its highlights.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie

“The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” will be in theaters on April 1, 2026. It’s directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic, and written by Matthew Fogel, all of whom worked on the first film. Reprising their characters are Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Day, Jack Black, Keegan-Michael Key and Kevin Michael Richardson. Brie Larson and Benny Safdie are also joining the sequel as Rosalina and Bowser Jr. Also, returning for the film’s original score is composer Brian Tyler.

In September 2025, Nintendo and Illumination officially announced their upcoming film with a short teaser. In it, we hear the familiar tune of the “Overworld” song from the SNES game, Super Mario World. The previous film’s post-credit scene hints at a future appearance from Yoshi, who was introduced in that game. The song choice seems very appropriate, and may also be fitting given that Yoshi appears in Super Mario Galaxy 2.

The first official movie trailer premiered on a Nintendo Direct featuring Shigeru Miyamoto, creator of Super Mario, and Chris Meledandri, founder and CEO of Illumination. The trailer begins with Bowser, who is now imprisoned in a tiny castle after eating a Mini Mushroom in the first film. We don’t exactly get a clear storyline, but we do see glimpses of “Galaxy” elements, like a launch star.

Who will we see?

There’s no doubt we’ll see several new characters in “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.” During the Nintendo Direct, Meledandri stated that there will be familiar characters and “deep cuts” making their first on-screen appearance. So far, we’ve seen a little bit of Bowser Jr. and Rosalina. Both of these characters are important to the Galaxy games and had exciting introductions in the trailer.

It’s possible Meledandri was referring to Bowser Jr. and Rosalina as the “new” characters. Or, maybe he means Yoshi, who is most likely going to appear, given the first film’s post-credit scene. So, that leads us to wonder who the “deep cuts” are. Perhaps we’ll see an appearance from Lubba assisting Mario as she does in the game. Or, maybe Cosmic Mario, the mischievous clone and rival, will show, challenging Mario.

Megaleg, a large, mechanical boss from the Terrace dome in Galaxy, shows at the end of the trailer. Does this mean we’ll see more bosses from the games, such as Dino Piranha, Bouldergeist or even King Kaliente? The trailer also gives us a glimpse at Ninjis, small black creatures who appear in several games, including Super Mario World and Super Mario Wonder (2023).

What else might we see?

With glimpses of locations and objects from several Mario games, there’s really no telling what may show in “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.” In the trailer, Mario and Luigi are speeding through a sandy location, where we catch a glimpse of some Inverted Pyramids. These are found in the Sand Kingdom in Super Mario Odyssey, another 3D platform game. Perhaps this movie will merge worlds and incorporate elements from other Mario 3D games.

The Comet Observatory can be seen in the background during Rosalina’s face-off with Megaleg in the trailer. This means we’ll definitely get a look at the famous observatory and possibly even the domes. And if we do, will we hear the sweet sounds of “Rosalina’s Observatory” from the Super Mario Galaxy soundtrack? One thing’s for sure, we can expect to see Rosalina in her library, accompanied by tons of cute and colorful Lumas.

In “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” the characters use plenty of power-ups, such as the Star Power, Cat Mario and the Fire Flower. So, it’s highly likely we’ll see characters use power-ups from Super Mario Galaxy. Maybe Mario will use a Red Star and become Flying Mario, or maybe we’ll see him use the Bee Mushroom. There are so many possibilities to look forward to.

Final thoughts

Super Mario Galaxy has always been my favorite Mario game, so I was thrilled when the new movie was announced. Since the first movie was so good, I have high hopes for “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.” I’m super excited to see the new characters, references and the cute animation again. I’m also really hoping to hear some of the songs from the games, specifically “Gusty Garden Galaxy.”

I honestly think Mario fans are in for a treat with this movie, and I have a feeling it’s going to be a blast. Hopefully, a second trailer will be released soon showing us more from the new movie. Until then, we wait with anticipation.