The Super Mario Bros. Movie boasts a talented ensemble cast of actors offering their take on the iconic characters from the Nintendo video games. The animated fantasy comedy follows Mario in his journey through the visually surreal Mushroom Kingdom where his brother, Luigi, has been kidnapped by the fire-breathing Bowser, king of the Koopas. The Super Mario Bros. Movie cast assembles fan favorites from the games as Mario is aided by Princess Peach and the mushroom-like sidekick Toad.
The 2023 movie faithfully recreates classic tropes from the games while also reinterpreting outdated elements — a massive improvement over the heavily panned live-action Super Mario Bros. film from 1993. Mario has had a more favorable run in animation, with TV shows like The Super Mario Bros. Super Show and Super Mario World and the 1986 anime film The Great Mission to Rescue Princess Peach. This new Super Mario Bros. movie now marks the character’s animated feature debut in Hollywood. Here's a guide to the cast of characters in The Super Mario Bros. Movie, who voices each of them, and what else they're known for.
Chris Pratt As Mario
Chris Pratt leads the Super Mario Bros. Movie cast as the plumber Mario. With a life-changing journey to save his brother, Luigi, Mario receives a new origin story in the animated movie. The character also gets to engage in his iconic jumps with the animated film recreating classic game levels such as Bob-omb Battlefield and Rainbow Road. Pratt initially broke out with the sitcom Parks and Recreation before becoming a blockbuster star in the Jurassic Word and Guardians of the Galaxy franchises, the latter leading to appearances in other MCU installments, including Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. He previously voiced main characters in The LEGO Movie and Pixar's Onward.
Anya Taylor-Joy As Princess Peach
The Super Mario Bros. Movie cast also includes Anya Taylor-Joy, who voices Princess Peach in a changed role. Fixing Super Mario Bros.' usual Princess Peach problem of an outdated damsel in distress archetype, the animated feature sees Peach as more of a valiant leader in the Mushroom Kingdom. Taylor-Joy previously starred in the horror movies The Witch, The Menu, Split, and Last Night in Soho, plus the period romance adaptation Emma., the historical fantasy drama The Northman, the Marvel Comics adaptation The New Mutants, and the chess drama series The Queen's Gambit. She also voiced characters in The Playmobil Movie and the Netflix series The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance.
Charlie Day As Luigi
Mario’s twin brother, Luigi, is quite the scaredy-cat, and he's abducted by Bowser for most of the movie's runtime. Luigi might not be the bravest of the ensemble, but his kind-heartedness and unintentional comic timing makes him quite a standout character. Charlie Day voices the part of Luigi in The Super Mario Bros. Movie's, reuniting with Pratt, his co-star in the LEGO Movie franchise. Best known as Charlie Keller on It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, Day has also appeared in several popular film franchises, such as Pacific Rim and Horrible Bosses. Day is also acclaimed for creating the shows The Cool Kids and Mythic Quest.
Jack Black As Bowser
Bowser, a.k.a. King Koopa, is integral to the Mario franchise, leading an army of Koopas and Goombas in his rise to power. After invading various territories in The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Bowser sets his eyes on Mushroom Kingdom. Jack Black voices the character, marking a return to animation after his iconic performance as Po in the Kung Fu Panda movies. An accomplished comedian and musician, Black stars in such music-driven comedies as School of Rock and Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny, both of which have a cult following. Black is also part of the casts of Tropic Thunder, the Jumanji sequels, and Peter Jackson's King Kong.
Keegan-Michael Key As Toad
Toad might have been a minor background character in many Mario video games, but with comedian Keegan-Michael Key in the Super Mario Bros. Movie cast, the friendly mushroom has a much bigger role. Toad is a loyal servant of Princess Peach, and so when she gets rebellious against Bowser, he also s her cause. To make his performance more faithful to the games, Key incorporates a squeaky, high-pitched tone while voicing Toad. The actor is no stranger to voice impressions, having played iconic characters like “Substitute Teacher” on his and Jordan Peele's sketch comedy show, Key & Peele. Key’s other major credits include Keanu and the shows Schmigadoon! and Reboot.
Seth Rogen As Donkey Kong
Donkey Kong and Mario have been enemies on several occasions in the games, but the gorilla has also been an ally at times. The Super Mario Bros. Movie explores this friendly relationship between the two characters, with Kong even facing off against Mario in an arena reminiscent of the first Donkey Kong video game. The ape is voiced by Seth Rogen, who portrayed animated characters in family-friendly comedies like Monsters vs. Aliens and Kung Fu Panda along with R-rated cartoon ventures like Sausage Party. After breaking out in Freaks and Geeks, he became popular for writing and acting in adult comedies like Pineapple Express, This is the End, and Superbad.
The Super Bros. Movie ing Voice Cast & Characters
Kevin Michael Richardson as Kamek: Bowser is accompanied by his servant and chief wizard Kamek, who is voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson. Reputed for his distinct deep voice, Richardson is a veteran in voice-acting with some of his major roles including Goro in Mortal Kombat and Captain Gantu in Disney's Lilo & Stitch.
Fred Armisen as Cranky Kong: Former Saturday Night Live cast member Fred Armisen is also part of the Super Mario Bros. Movie cast as Donkey Kong’s grandfather Cranky Kong. Armisen, who earned acclaim for his performances in the sketch comedy series Portlandia, has also had voice acting experience with the shows Big Mouth and Final Space.
Sebastian Maniscalco as Foreman Spike: A member of the Working Crew who mostly causes trouble for Mario and Luigi, Foreman Spike is played by stand-up comedian Sebastian Maniscalco, who previously made appearances in the movies The Green Book and The Irishman.
Khary Payton as the Penguin King: Unsuccessfully leading a campaign against Bowser’s forces, the Penguin King appears briefly in The Super Mario Bros. Movie. He is voiced by Khary Payton, who is mostly known for portraying King Ezekiel in The Walking Dead and voicing Cyborg in several DC animated movies.
Charles Martinet as multiple voice cameos: Voicing several cameo roles purposely undisclosed before the movie's release is original Mario and Luigi voice actor Charles Martinet. His appearance in The Super Mario Bros. Movie's makes sense given how frequently he has voiced the twin brothers in a wide range of video games and shows.
