Potential Super Mario Voice Actor Addresses Rumors

When Super Mario Bros. Wonder releases later this month, the game will feature a brand-new voice for Nintendo's mustachioed mascot. Fans have been dying to find out who will voice Mario, and rumors began to circulate this morning that it could be Mick Wingert. Wingert's voice has appeared in a number of games over the years, including Nintendo's own Fire Emblem Heroes. Dataminers discovered Wingert's name in the files for the game's in-store demo, and many assumed he would be the character's voice. However, after rumors began to circulate earlier today, Wingert's agent, Epoch Talent, offered a statement to IGN stating that it cannot confirm that Wingert has a role in the game, but that Wingert "can confirm that he is NOT voicing Mario."

Mario's New Voice

Nintendo shocked fans earlier this year when it announced that Charles Martinet will no longer be providing the voice of Mario. Martinet has been the sole voice of the character in the video games for decades now, and provided Mario with several lines that have since become iconic. While Martinet did not voice Mario in The Super Mario Bros. Movie, the actor did voice two other characters in the film: Mario's father, and a character named Giuseppe. Martinet has been associated with Mario for so long that some fans can't even imagine someone else doing the voice. The actor will still have a role with Nintendo, serving as a "Mario ambassador," though details remain limited. While Martinet will not be appearing in any new games, his vocal talents will continue to appear in some Nintendo Switch titles set to release in 2024. Those appearances will happen in existing games that are getting remakes and remasters, such as Luigi's Mansion 2. 

Super Mario Bros. Wonder Release Date

Super Mario Bros. Wonder will release October 20th on Nintendo Switch. In September, Nintendo stated that it will not reveal Mario's new voice actor until the game's release. Many fans had expected the actor's name would end up leaked or revealed prior to that date, but it's looking increasingly unlikely that we'll know more ahead of the game's launch. Despite the rumors of Wingert's involvement in Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Nintendo has not offered any kind of statement, leaving fans to continue speculating. 

From everything Nintendo has shown of the game thus far, whoever is playing Mario has not strayed far from the voice established by Martinet. While some fans might have expected Nintendo to go in a direction closer to Chris Pratt's voice in The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Mario's voice in the new game sounds incredibly close to Martinet. In fact, the first trailer for Super Mario Bros. Wonder released prior to the announcement of Martinet's new role, and many fans were unaware that someone else had taken over! 

Who do you think is voicing Mario in the new game? Are you sad it won't be Charles Martinet? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

[H/T: Nintendo Everything]