Nintendo has said that Charles Martinet will not be voicing Mario in upcoming games, including Super Mario Bros. Wonder.
It’s the end of an era. Charles Martinet will no longer be the voice of Mario.
“Charles Martinet has been the original voice of Mario in Nintendo games for a long time, as far back as Super Mario 64,” Nintendo said in a statement published on X (née Twitter). “Charles is now moving into the brand-new role of Mario Ambassador. With this transition, he will be stepping back from recording character voices for our games, but he’ll continue to travel the world sharing the joy of Mario and interacting with you all!”
The statement added that there will also be an upcoming video message from Martinet and Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto.
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
Martinet reacted to the statement with a quote tweet, saying: “My new Adventure begins! You are all Numba One in my heart! #woohoo !!!!!!!”
Later, Nintendo confirmed that Martinet will not provide the voice of Mario in the upcoming game Super Mario Bros. Wonder, which is set for release on 20th October. In a statement sent to Eurogamer, a Nintendo spokesperson said: “Regarding Super Mario Bros. Wonder, while Charles is not involved in the game, we’re excited to honour his legacy and contributions, including looking ahead to what he’ll be doing as a Mario Ambassador.”
Fans had already speculated on social media that Martinet might not be voicing Mario in the new game, following the release of a trailer for Super Mario Bros. Wonder in June, noting that the character’s voice sounded slightly different. Nintendo’s statement to Eurogamer didn’t indicate who will be the new voice of Mario, only saying: “Character voice actors for Mario and/or Luigi in Super Mario Bros. Wonder will be credited in the game credits, so please wait for the game to be released.”
Charles Martinet has actually been the voice of Mario since before the release of Super Mario 64 in 1996. For several years in the early 1990s, he appeared at trade shows to give voice to a 3D Mario head that was set to track his facial movements. The first time he voiced Mario in a game was for Mario Teaches Typing, an educational game released for PC and Mac in 1994.
Read more: Super Mario Bros. Wonder announced, out in October
