5 Nintendo Characters That Should Debut in the Mario Movies After Star Fox

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When The Super Mario Bros. Movie came out in April 2023, it faced a lot of pressure, as many previous attempts to adapt video games into films had failed. However, the movie, a collaboration between Illumination and Nintendo, was a huge success, earning $1.36 billion worldwide. This made it the highest-grossing video game movie ever, the first to reach $1 billion, and the second-highest-grossing film of 2023, after Barbie. The film proved what was possible for video game franchises in the world of cinema. Even more importantly, the movie hinted at bigger plans for the future, prominently featuring Donkey Kong (voiced by Seth Rogen) and his world, Kong Island, suggesting that the Mushroom Kingdom is just one part of a much larger universe.

The upcoming Super Mario Galaxy movie, set to release on April 1, 2026, will significantly expand the scope of the Nintendo cinematic universe by taking the adventure into outer space. The sequel will introduce new characters like Rosalina (voiced by Brie Larson) and Yoshi (voiced by Donald Glover), alongside Fox McCloud from the Star Fox series. Promotional materials have also revealed appearances by Pikmin and R.O.B., indicating that this Galaxy sequel aims to include characters from various Nintendo franchises. With rumors of a Donkey Kong movie in the works, it appears Nintendo is strategically introducing characters in supporting roles before potentially giving them their own films. Now that the universe has expanded to include space, certain characters are being set up for future features.

5) Captain Olimar

The Pikmin series from Nintendo follows Captain Olimar, a small astronaut who relies on tiny, plant-like creatures called Pikmin to explore and fight on alien planets. The upcoming Super Mario Galaxy Movie will feature Pikmin, marking the first time the franchise appears in a major film. While Captain Olimar isn’t currently listed among the movie’s cast, the recent addition of Fox suggests he might still make an appearance. Even if he doesn’t, with the movie series now heading into space, there’s plenty of opportunity to introduce Olimar in a future installment.

4) Shulk

The Xenoblade Chronicles series is a role-playing game franchise from Nintendo where heroes explore worlds built on the remains of giant, ancient titans. Players battle enemies and uncover stories about destiny and whether people truly have free will. The main character, Shulk, has the unique ability to see and change the future, which would be visually exciting in a movie, especially as the series is moving towards larger, interconnected stories. Shulk is also a well-known Nintendo character, appearing in Super Smash Bros. games. The world of Xenoblade is visually stunning, and a film adaptation would offer a different feel and scope compared to the existing Mario movies.

3) Kirby

I’ve always been fascinated by the Kirby games! It’s amazing how this little pink puffball can just swallow enemies and become them, instantly changing his powers and even how he looks. As an animation fan, I think that’s a brilliant concept – it lets them create really dynamic action scenes with tons of visual variety. But what really surprises people is that beneath all the cuteness, the Kirby universe is actually pretty dark! The games often throw Kirby up against seriously scary, world-ending threats, and they play it completely straight, which is a cool contrast to his happy-go-lucky personality. Considering Kirby is always traveling to different planets, I could totally see him making an appearance in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie – it would fit perfectly!

2) Captain Falcon

I’m a huge fan of F-Zero, and it’s such a cool series! It takes place way in the future, in 2560, where racing isn’t just about speed – it’s about bounty hunting on these crazy anti-gravity tracks. Captain Falcon is the best – he’s a top racer, but he also takes on mercenary work to fund his career, which makes him a way more interesting character than your typical hero. Seriously, his look is instantly recognizable, and even people who’ve never played F-Zero know him from Super Smash Bros.! Seeing the space setting in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie got me thinking – a full F-Zero movie, maybe even starting with a cameo in another Galaxy film, would be amazing. It could finally give the series the story depth it’s always deserved, something the games themselves never really explored.

1) Samus Aran

As a huge Nintendo fan, I honestly think Samus Aran is made for a big-screen space movie. The Metroid games tell the story of this incredible bounty hunter who basically operates alone, taking on these terrifying Space Pirates and the Metroids – these really creepy, biological weapons – on all these dangerous alien planets. Her backstory is amazing too – she lost her colony when she was young, then trained with this ancient alien race and became this super-skilled warrior who always works solo against threats that could wipe out entire civilizations. It’s basically a ready-made blockbuster sci-fi story! With Illumination starting to explore more of Nintendo’s worlds, it would be such a shame if they didn’t include Samus – it feels like a huge opportunity they can’t miss.

Now that Fox is appearing in The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which other Nintendo series would you love to see adapted into a film? Share your thoughts in the comments and join the discussion on the ComicBook Forum!

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2026-03-27 23:40