Legendary voice actor Charles Martinet, known for portraying the iconic Mario since 1991, will be stepping down from the role going forward. To honor his contributions, Nintendo will now appoint him as the official Mario Ambassador.
According to Nintendo’s post on X, fans can also expect an upcoming special video message that includes series creator Shigeru Miyamoto and Martinet at a later date. This also means that he will not be voicing the character in the upcoming Super Mario Bros. Wonder.
Martinet is the longest-serving voice actor for both Mario and his younger brother Luigi and has portrayed the roles in every core entry of the Super Mario franchise and spin-offs such as Mario Kart, Mario Party, Mario Golf, Mario Tennis, Super Smash Bros., and more.
Below are just some of his accolades:
- Super Mario 64 (1996) – Mario + Bowser (vocal effects)
- Super Mario Sunshine (2002) – Mario
- Super Mario Galaxy (2007) – Mario, Luigi
- Super Mario Galaxy 2 (2010) – Mario, Luigi
- Super Mario 3D Land (2011) – Mario, Luigi
- Super Mario 3D World (2013) – Mario, Luigi
- Super Mario Odyssey (2017) – Mario, Luigi
Many fans were outraged when Martinet was not chosen to voice the character in The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023), as he was replaced by Chris Pratt. Still, he was granted multiple cameos in a way to appease viewers, most notably the role of Mario and Luigi’s father.