The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2 star Keegan-Michael Key teases the new characters and locations that feature in the film. Based on Nintendo’s beloved Super Mario Bros. video game franchise, the hit Illumination movie hit theaters last year, earning mixed reviews from critics but becoming a major box office hit. The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2 is now confirmed to be on the way, with Chris Pratt’s Mario returning for another adventure in the Mushroom Kingdom and beyond.
In a recent interview with Men’s Journal, Key, who voices Toad in the first film and the sequel, hypes the characters and locations from the Nintendo video game franchise that will be appearing in The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2. While the actor doesn’t reveal any specifics, he does tease that some of the video game characters set to appear are “deep cuts.” Check out Key’s comment below:
“One thing I can say about the second movie is that it’s a little broader in scope, and where it takes place is very intriguing lore and the Mario world. They’re going to find some really fantastic Easter eggs and it’s been very exciting so far.”
“I feel like what they’ve done creatively is they’ve really widened out the universe that these characters live in and we’re going to meet some new folks. We’re going to meet some new folks that are old favorites and some folks that I think are really deep cuts, but because of the way the story’s laying itself out right now, those characters are going to be very intriguing.”
What Key’s Update Means For The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2
Which Characters Could Be Appearing?
Most of the core voice cast of The Super Mario Bros. Movie will likely return for the sequel, including Charlie Day as Luigi, Jack Black as Bowser, and Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach. The voice cast and Easter eggs are undoubtedly part of why the first film played so well with audiences. Though the movie has only a 59% on Rotten Tomatoes, it earned $1.361 billion at the box office. Offering up more of what audiences love from the video games and delving deeper into that world could see the sequel achieve similar success.
As far which characters will be appearing in the sequel, the Super Mario Bros. Movie‘s ending teases that Yoshi will likely be making an appearance. Yoshi could certainly be an “old favorite“ that Key is referring to. In terms of the deeper cuts, however, it’s possible that a video game character like King Wart, who was last seen in 1988’s Super Mario Bros. 2 will be appearing. Other possibilities include Lakitu, the character who lifts you back onto the track in Mario Kart, or one-offs like Tatanga, Wanda, and Mushbert.
Our Take On The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2’s New Locations & Characters
How The Sequel Can Improve On The Original
The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2 widening the world of the franchise is to be expected. Though it will be exciting to see familiar locations and characters from the video game world, the sequel would do well to also focus on telling a deeper and more emotionally-resonant story. If the first film’s abundance of Easter eggs and references could be combined with something a little more complex and less surface-level, The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2 could end up being a major improvement.
Source: Men’s Journal