The Super Mario Galaxy Movie Quietly Sets Up Nintendo’s Answer to Star Wars

The upcoming Mario movie is expected to be a massive hit, but its storytelling could be even more important. It opens the door for Nintendo to create its own expansive franchise, similar to Star Wars, with numerous potential spin-off stories. The film draws inspiration from beloved Nintendo Wii games and introduces a brand new, galactic dimension to the Mario world.

The movie features several well-known characters, like Bowser Jr. (played by Benny Safdie) and Rosalina (played by Brie Larson). Rosalina has a key role, especially for fans of the Mario Galaxy games, as she’s in charge of the Lumas and protects the stars. However, there’s an even more important character connected to space who could appear in the new film and elevate the Mario franchise to the same level as Star Wars in the world of animation.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie May Introduce Star Fox

The beloved Nintendo character Star Fox could join the universe of the new Mario game, which features a grand, galactic story. First appearing in 1993 on the Super Nintendo, Star Fox puts players in control of Fox McCloud and his team as they battle through the Lylat System. The games are known for their fast-paced, aerial combat, where players pilot ships like the famous Arwing in a unique, on-rails shooting style. While originally focused on shooting, the Star Fox series has recently branched out to include different types of action-adventure games.

The Star Fox series could benefit from a comeback, and bringing its characters into a game like Mario Galaxy would be a simple way to make them popular again. Although Fox, Falco, Slippy, and Pepe don’t usually share a universe with Mario and Luigi, they have appeared together in games, most famously in the Super Smash Bros. series, where characters from Star Fox are playable.

After the success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, fans are eager to see other Nintendo characters get the same animated treatment from Illumination. Considering the connections hinted at in the Super Smash Bros. games, and the current popularity of multiverse stories in films like Spider-Man: No Way Home and Everything Everywhere All at Once, audiences seem ready for characters like Star Fox to appear in a future Mario movie. The new film’s space setting makes it an ideal opportunity to introduce a fresh animated version of Fox and his team.

Star Fox Can Be Even More Relevant Than Star Wars

The Star Fox series has the potential to become a major global brand, particularly if Nintendo partners with a studio like Illumination. Illumination has a proven track record of success, creating billion-dollar franchises with characters like the Minions and making culturally significant films such as Sing.

Building on the popular elements of Star Wars and adapting them for a specific audience – much like The Super Mario Bros. Movie did – could lead to success and avoid the problems that recent Star Wars projects have experienced. While Star Wars remains a hugely successful franchise, it’s faced challenges recently, with some new releases disappointing longtime fans.

With changes happening at Lucasfilm, Nintendo has a chance to create another big franchise. A new series, similar to Star Fox, could really take off by starting fresh and building on the success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie. While one famous science fiction series might be losing steam, another could become the next big thing, and it all starts with The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.

Nintendo Has Multiple Sci-Fi Franchises That The Mario Galaxy Movie Must Include

This new movie feels like just the start of something big for Nintendo characters. The world it creates has a lot of possibilities, not just for more Mario movies, but for expanding the Nintendo universe as a whole. Characters and stories from games like Star Fox could be a great way to create spin-offs that offer exciting space adventures for families. Other Nintendo properties with a space theme could also appear in future films.

Metroid is one of Nintendo’s most important remaining science fiction franchises, following bounty hunter Samus Aran as she battles terrifying enemies like the space pirate Ridley. While it’s known for being a darker series, there’s room for a more lighthearted take that could appeal to a wider audience. Although Illumination might seem like an unexpected choice to adapt Metroid, a movie that connects it to the world of Super Mario Galaxy could significantly boost the franchise’s popularity.

The F-Zero games are also worth mentioning. F-Zero is a fast-paced, futuristic racing game set in space that originally came out in 1990 and has continued with new versions over the years. While characters like Captain Falcon first appeared in F-Zero, they became even more well-known after being featured in Super Smash Bros.

The Potential For Nintendo’s Cinematic Universe Is Unlimited

We can expect to see many more Nintendo movies in the future, potentially including spin-offs. While The Super Mario Galaxy Movie might introduce several new characters, there are plenty more from the Nintendo universe that could become huge franchises. Characters like Kirby, the Ice Climbers, and those from Earthbound have bright, appealing designs that would work well with Illumination’s animation style.

This suggests Nintendo could create a vast cinematic universe similar to Marvel or DC. With so many beloved characters and popular game series, there’s huge potential for movies and shows, whether they’re animated like the Mario films or made with live actors.

Following the hit movie The Super Mario Bros. Movie, the next film is a great opportunity to build a larger universe of Nintendo characters. Even short appearances by other characters could lay the groundwork for Nintendo and Illumination to continue working together. With careful planning, this could eventually lead to a major crossover event, similar to The Avengers, bringing together heroes like Mario, Link, Kirby, Fox McCloud, and others.

I’m really excited about the direction Nintendo is taking with The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, especially the space setting! It feels like a perfect springboard to introduce so many other beloved characters and worlds. Honestly, Star Fox feels like the most natural fit – it would be amazing to see Fox McCloud and his crew make an appearance. Even if they don’t show up in this first movie, I really hope Nintendo has big plans for Star Fox in their future films. It just feels like too good of an opportunity to pass up!

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2026-03-03 04:07