The Mario Movies Nail One Key Element

I won’t hand out too many compliments to The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, but I do want to acknowledge Illumination and Nintendo for steering clear of cheap laughs like fart jokes, a common pitfall in many animated films. Does this mean we’ll never see Mario’s gassy rival, Wario, on the big screen? Not quite, according to Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto.

In a recent interview, Miyamoto mentioned that he advised actors like Chris Pratt, who voices Mario, to avoid crude humor. However, he hinted that Wario, known for his bodily function “humor” in games like WarioWare and appearances in titles like Super Smash Bros., could still make an appearance in future films. I can’t help but recall his introduction in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, where he famously created a nuclear mushroom cloud with a fart.

While Wario’s more outrageous traits are toned down in the main Mario games, the films have already taken some creative liberties with character portrayals. So, a less flatulent Wario could definitely fit into the movie universe. I appreciate that the Mario films have so far avoided this low-hanging comedic fruit that plagues many animated features. I firmly believe that cartoons and animated films should treat kids with respect, and if you think kids should find farts and burps to be the pinnacle of humor, then you’re not giving them the credit they deserve.

Although the next Mario movie is likely still a few years off, the upcoming collaboration between Nintendo and Illumination is set for 2028, and fans are speculating it might feature Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong.