After Seeing The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, I Understand Why Nintendo Spoiled The Star Fox Surprise

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Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for The Super Mario Galaxy Movie

Like many fans, I was really surprised Nintendo and Illumination showed off Fox McCloud from Star Fox before the Super Mario Galaxy Movie came out. It would have been a much bigger thrill to see him appear as a surprise during the movie itself, instead of through a character poster Nintendo released beforehand.

Nintendo surprisingly revealed Fox McCloud’s role in the movie just a week before its release. They showed off his character design and confirmed Glen Powell would be voicing him. This late reveal felt like Nintendo was giving away a key surprise, as Fox hadn’t appeared in any of the trailers or promotional materials beforehand, aside from a brief glimpse of his arm which sparked some fan speculation.

Now that I’ve seen The Super Mario Movie, it makes perfect sense why Nintendo revealed Fox McCloud when they did.

Fox McCloud’s Super Mario Galaxy Role Was Much Bigger Than A Cameo

If Glen Powell’s Fox McCloud had just made a brief appearance or been hinted at after the credits, Nintendo would have been right to keep him a secret before the movie came out. But Fox actually had a surprisingly significant role in The Super Mario Bros. Movie.

Princess Peach and Toad set off to rescue Princess Rosalina from Bowser Jr., traveling to the Gateway Galaxy to find him. Once they discover his location, they need a pilot to reach him, so they go to the Flight Deck. After getting help from R.O.B. and a quick encounter with the Pikmin, they meet Fox McCloud, a daring space pilot. Fox agrees to fly them in his Arwing to the Space Junk Galaxy and Planet Bowser.

Fox McCloud teams up with Mario, Luigi, and Yoshi during the second half of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie to help rescue Princess Rosalina. He appears on screen almost as much as Rosalina herself, and possibly even more.

Considering Glen Powell, who starred in Top Gun: Maverick, was chosen to voice the character Fox, it’s a smart move for Nintendo to highlight this pairing in a final burst of promotion before the movie comes out.

Is Nintendo Building Toward A Star Fox Movie Franchise?

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie includes a post-credits scene featuring Fox McCloud from Star Fox. It shows Princess Rosalina fixing his ship, the Arwing, so he can go back to the Lylat system and reunite with his team. This sets up a potential for Nintendo to create a Star Fox movie series in the future.

Interestingly, Glenn Powell actually campaigned to play Fox McCloud, hoping Nintendo would make a Star Fox movie. He didn’t realize Nintendo was already planning to include the character in The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Given Powell’s enthusiasm and the character’s popularity in the new Mario film, a spin-off movie seems like a really smart move.

Given the huge success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie and the excitement fans have shown for a Super Smash Bros. movie, it’s very likely Nintendo is considering making one. The Mario film already included characters from other Nintendo franchises, like Fox, which suggests they’re open to exploring broader crossover possibilities.

We’ll probably see Glen Powell as Fox McCloud and more Star Fox movies in the future, particularly since Fox played a significant part in the success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is now playing in theaters from Illumination and Nintendo.

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2026-04-05 06:48