Super Mario Bros. trailer released, fans frown on Chris Pratt

(WHNT) – A popular Nintendo game is coming to the big screen, and fans around the world got a sneak peek after the Super Mario Bros. trailer Thursday. dropped at New York Comic-Con.

While much of the setup focuses on Mario’s nemesis Bowser, Mario himself, voiced by actor Chris Pratt, appears towards the end of the animated preview en route to the Mushroom Kingdom. The trailer ends with Mario’s brother Luigi venturing into what appears to be the haunted mansion.

The cast also includes Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, Charlie Day as Luigi, Jack Black as Bowser and Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong. Charles Martinet, the longtime voice actor for Nintendo’s Mario franchise, is still credited despite being replaced by Pratt.

However, some fans seemed confused by Mario’s voice as Pratt apparently didn’t have an Italian accent at all.

“Mario obviously should have been voiced by @CharlesMartinet.” wrote one Twitter user in response to the Nintendo of America tweet teasing the trailer.

“Give Mario’s accent back[,] he has done nothing to deserve it.” another tweeted.

Others defended Pratt and the filmmakers’ choice for Mario’s voice.

“It would be difficult to have the ‘typical’ Mario voice for an entire movie dialogue.” one person wrote. “But I agree that they should have thrown in one of his lines when he left for Mushroom Kingdom.”

“Obviously, Mario’s voice isn’t ideal, but I have a feeling that actually voicing Mario from the video game would be very difficult for an entire movie. Mario hardly [spoke] 10 different sentences in the last 30 years”, remarked another.

Pratt previously told Variety that he plans to “update” Mario’s voice for the film.

“I worked really closely with the directors and tried a few things and ended up with something that I’m really proud of and can’t wait for people to see and hear,” he teased in June.

The upcoming animated Super Mario Bros. movie will be the Nintendo character’s second feature-length appearance, following a live-action version of Super Mario Bros. with Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo in 1993.

“Super Mario Bros.” is scheduled for release on April 7, 2023 and appears to tie in with the opening of Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Hollywood theme park.