1 of the Best Parts of Super Mario Bros. Movie Isn’t in the Sequel (but There’s a Good Reason)

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With the release of The Super Mario Bros. Movie sequel just around the corner, fans are getting excited. The first film was a huge success, bringing classic Nintendo characters like Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Toad to life in animation. But one memorable hero from that movie likely won’t appear in the next installment.

A big part of promoting The Super Mario Bros. Movie focused on the appearance of Donkey Kong, voiced by Seth Rogen. While he didn’t show up until later in the film, DK became an important character and even formed a friendship with Mario and his friends. This led many fans to believe he’d be back for the sequel, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, but unfortunately, it appears that won’t happen.

Donkey Kong is Missing From The Super Mario Galaxy Movie

Donkey Kong is a hugely popular character in the Mario series, and his role in the first movie makes it surprising he hasn’t been mentioned in connection with the sequel. Seth Rogen, who voiced DK, is a well-known actor, and not including him could impact the film’s promotion. So far, neither he nor his character have appeared in any promotional materials for the new movie, and his return hasn’t been officially announced. Given how prominently DK featured in the first film’s marketing, it would be odd if he were still in the movie but absent from all promotion for the sequel.

Honestly, I don’t see a good reason for Donkey Kong to be in a Super Mario Galaxy adaptation. He wasn’t even in the original game! If Mario and the usual crew are finally going to space, it just feels weird that DK would suddenly leave his jungle home to join them. It feels like the Mushroom Kingdom has things handled now, so the Kongs aren’t really needed for this particular adventure, and that includes DK.

It’s disappointing that Donkey Kong likely won’t be back, because he was a highlight of the first movie. The Jungle Kingdom scenes really added personality and fun to The Super Mario Bros. Movie, preventing it from being too focused on the more generic Mushroom Kingdom.

Beyond that, Donkey Kong’s dynamic with his father mirrored Mario’s own journey, making DK a great contrast that helped strengthen the movie’s central ideas. He was also genuinely funny, brought to life with unique animation, and felt fresh thanks to his ability to speak – a new take on the character.

The Real Reason Why Donkey Kong Isn’t Returning In The Galaxy Movie

There’s a good reason we might not see Donkey Kong in future Mario movies: a potential spin-off film focused solely on Donkey Kong. Because he already leads his own popular video game series, separate from Mario, fans have been speculating about a dedicated Donkey Kong movie ever since his world appeared in the first film.

Actor Seth Rogen mentioned the possibility of a movie based on the Donkey Kong Country series in April 2023, calling it a potentially great idea. This sparked a lot of excitement among fans, and rumors about the project have circulated since, but so far, there’s been no official confirmation.

Despite previous uncertainty, a recent leak confirms a Donkey Kong movie is in development. Nintendo and Universal have copyrighted a project called “Untitled Donkey Kong Project,” officially categorizing it as a film. This indicates the project is progressing, though details remain unknown.

A copyright filing for this movie appeared online back in July 2025, but we still haven’t heard an official announcement. While the filing suggests the project is being considered, it’s likely still in the planning stages. If everything goes well, we might get an announcement later this year.

Nintendo and Illumination are likely holding off on announcing a Donkey Kong spinoff movie until after The Super Mario Bros. Movie comes out. They probably want to avoid overshadowing the sequel, but could announce it shortly after to capitalize on the excitement.

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2026-01-12 18:42