Ever since the first voiced incarnation of the Nintendo plumber character in Super Mario 64 – or earlier in the less mainstream Mario Teaches Typing – the one providing the voice lines was Charles Martinet. So recognisable and iconic was his voice that it would have been difficult to imagine anyone else replacing him in the role. We first got a taste of that reality thanks to the animated movie earlier this year, and more recently following the trailer of the upcoming game, Super Mario Bros Wonder.
While at the time it was only speculation that Martinet would not be providing the voice of the character in the series’ upcoming installment, is has since been confirmed by Nintendo itself. In a statement to Polygon, the company said that “while Charles is not involved in the game, we’re excited to honour his legacy and contributions”.
We have a message for fans of the Mushroom Kingdom. Please take a look. pic.twitter.com/U1ASicOuTO
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) August 21, 2023
Following up on that was a statement posted on X, previously Twitter, noting that Martinet would be transitioning into the “brand-new role of Mario Ambassador”. Which involves traveling the world and sharing the joy of the character, so fans now have a higher chance of meeting Martinet in person at conventions related to the character.
Perhaps less known is the fact that beyond just Mario, Charles Martinet had previously also been the voice of many other characters in the universe. This includes Luigi, Wario and Waluigi, as well as Baby Mario and Baby Luigi. So with Martinet stepping away from voice acting for Nintendo, fans are losing the voices of a whole multitude of characters, even if none of them are as iconic and the series protagonist. In the same vein, it remains to be seen who will be the new voice of the Italian plumber – and family – in this new era for the franchise.
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