Summary
The final performance ofMariovoice actor Charles Martinet stands out as all the more special following the announcement that he’s stepping back from the role. Martinet’s voice acting forMariois ingrained in the memory and hearts of millions of Mario fans across the world. All good things come to an end, though, and Martinet is shifting to a different position at Nintendo instead. His last performance as Mario came across as a fun Easter egg, but now feels fitting.
Charles Martinet began his work as Mario for Nintendo in 1991. He’s previously said he was the last to audition for the role, and almost missed the opportunity entirely. To start, he did special trade show events where he’d talk with attendees in Mario’s voice via a display. His first video game would be the 1992Super Mario Bros.pinball machine, followed by 1994’sMario Teaches Typing. Most will recall hearing his voice first inSuper Mario 64’s 1996 release. Martinet has since starred as Mario, Luigi, Wario, Waluigi, and more in well over 100 Nintendo games.
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It was announced on Monday that Martinet will be transitioning out of the role of Mario’s voice actor, becoming a Mario Ambassador instead. He won’t be doing recordings anymore, but will still travel the world for Nintendo events. While it’s still possible future projects will use Martinet’s voice for Mario in some capacity, right now his final Mario credit is inThe Super Mario Bros. Movie. Viewers of the film may not know, butMartinet voiced Mario and Luigi’s father. It now stands as a heartfelt goodbye to Martinet, and a moment signifying a transition to a new era of Mario.
Nintendo has already confirmed that the next major Mario game release,Super Mario Wonder, will not feature Martinet’s voice work. Nintendo fans had alreadyspeculated that Mario’s voice in the upcoming Nintendo game was someone newbased on early trailers. The new voice actor for Mario has not been named. Despite the new voice acting, Mario’s voice is still clearly derived from Martinet’s past work.
Martinet has also commented on the news himself. He posted on Twitter, saying, “My new adventure begins! You are all Numba One in my heart! #woohoo !!!!!!!” A recorded video featuring both Martinet and Shigeru Miyamoto will also be shared online in the future. It’s clear that while hewon’t be voicing Mario in games going forward, Martinet himself will still be involved with Nintendo in various capacities.
While Martinet’s last Mario credit is in theSuper Mario Bros.film, his last video credit is also somewhat of a surprise. It’sMario + Rabbids Spark of Hope, the Ubisoft-published tactical game. Martinet voiced both Mario and Luigi in the project. Don’t expect Martinet to give up voice acting altogether, of course. He still appears to be working on other projects, likevoicing Magenta forDragon Ball Super: Super Hero. It’s not quiteMario, but it’s special, too.
MORE:Why It Makes Sense Not To Cast Charles Martinet As Mario For The Movie
