I was so excited for The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, and it really delivers! After loving The Super Mario Bros. Movie, this one felt like a huge step up. It introduced so many new characters from Mario and other games, which makes it even more confusing why they weren’t included before. It really expands the world they’re building with Illumination and Nintendo!
Although Bowser was the primary villain in the first movie, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie featured an even more unhinged antagonist: Bowser Jr. This young Koopa prince commands a larger Bowser’s Army, setting out to rescue Bowser, who Mario had reduced in size and captured at the end of the previous film. Bowser Jr.’s forces are incredibly frightening to the Mushroom Kingdom, but a different group of characters could have raised the stakes even higher.
The Koopalings Weren’t In Either Of Illumination’s Mario Movies
Though the Koopalings – Larry, Morton, Wendy, Iggy, Roy, Lemmy, and Ludwig – are well-known characters in the Super Mario universe, they weren’t included in either The Super Mario Bros. Movie or The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. In the video games, these seven are Bowser’s main helpers, usually appearing as the final bosses of each world. They’re dangerous opponents who use a variety of attacks – from weapons and magic to sheer strength – to help Bowser achieve his goals.
The Koopalings debuted as bosses in Super Mario Bros. 3, but weren’t seen for a while after that. They made a big comeback in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, and have been featured in many games since, including most of the New Super Mario Bros. series and Super Mario Bros. Wonder. They’ve also appeared in numerous spin-off titles like Mario Kart 8.
Considering how often they’ve been featured in the past, it’s surprising the Koopalings weren’t included in either of the recent Mario movies. The films made room for cameos from almost every Mario villain, even obscure characters like Wart and those from other Nintendo games, such as ROB and Fox McCloud. Leaving out the Koopalings, who have been prominent villains in more recent Mario games, feels like a strange choice.
Bowser Jr.’s storyline was a great way to bring in the Koopalings, who could have naturally been part of his forces. This would have allowed Mario and his friends to battle different Koopaling members across various planets, expanding the scope of their adventures.
After appearing in many games for years, some Mario fans started to feel like the Koopalings were being used too much. This might be why they weren’t included in The Super Mario Bros. Movie, but hopefully they’ll have a bigger role in the next film, which is likely to happen.
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2026-04-05 00:40