The Super Mario Bros Movie 2 Should Follow Super Mario Galaxy

The Super Mario Bros Movie proved to be a success, bringing the popular video game characters to the big screen in a way that felt authentic and entertaining at the same time. The film went on to gross $1.36 billion worldwide, becoming the third-highest-grossing animated movie of all time and the highest-grossing film based on a video game in cinematic history. It was a monstrous success for Universal Pictures, which is why a sequel for the movie was always inevitable.

With a stellar cast bringing these characters to life with their voices and a bright, vibrant animation style, the movie appealed to families. The Super Mario Bros. Movie should now become a major animated franchise, and the second film is set to be released on April 3, 2026. While little is known about it at this point, one game within the Super Mario franchise would be perfect as the inspiration for it.

Related

6 Mario Movie Spin-Offs That Make The Most Sense

The Super Mario Bros Movie has been breaking all sorts of records, but what will be the next movie to be made with these characters?

Super Mario Galaxy Is The Ideal Inspiration For The Super Mario Bros Movie 2

Initially released in 2007 on the Nintendo Wii, Super Mario Galaxy became one of the most iconic video games ever. It won the BAFTA Award for Best Game and is the ninth best-selling Wii game in history, with 12.80 million copies sold over the years. It proved popular enough for a sequel to be created in 2010, showcasing an avid fanbase for this specific story set, as the title would suggest, around the galaxy.

In typical Super Mario fashion, it is all about rescuing Princess Peach from Bowser, with Mario also looking to save the universe at the same time. The levels take place on minor planets where gravity influences how Mario moves, while each galaxy has completely different themes, challenges, and mini-bosses to overcome. The video game worked well because everything was well thought out, but also completely different from anything Mario had done before, and that’s what makes it ideal to work as the inspiration for the next movie. It would be a massive jump from what fans got to see in the original, and this is the right time to do that.

Super Mario Galaxy Would Make The Sequel Stand Out

The Super Mario Bros Movie did an excellent job of ticking as many Mario-related boxes as possible, and it felt like a fantastic fan service. It brought as many characters from that world as possible, with nods to countless classic games. However, the sequel doesn’t need to do that as it has already been achieved. That means this movie can have a more focused storyline in terms of which characters are involved, and Super Mario Galaxy provides that. It ensures that staple characters like Bowser and Princess Peach are involved while also introducing a lot of new characters, such as Rosalina. Plus, it provides many new suit options for Mario, which would be great for marketing the movie and selling merchandise afterward.

Universal will want the sequel to stand out and feel unique from the original, and while any Mario movie is going to be bright and vibrant, taking the story into the galaxy would certainly do that. It’s a big enough leap that it feels fresh, but because it’s based on such a popular game, there will be a level of familiarity. Plus, Super Mario Galaxy was a visually stunning video game that lends itself nicely to the styling of an animated movie. It would provide a fresh look to the movie, and given how open the levels were, there would be plenty of exploration and creative freedom within the movie.

The Super Mario Bros Movie 2 Should Raise The Stakes

When it comes to building a franchise, it is important that the stakes rise with each movie to maintain interest. Having Mario try to save the entire universe from the threat of Bowser would guarantee that it happens here. Seeing Mario interacting with different planets and various villains would also be an enjoyable experience for the moviegoer. With Bowser frustrated at how things went in the original, it would only make sense that he takes things to the next level with his threat to destroy the entire universe, and Princess Peach doesn’t need to be captured as part of that storyline either, keeping her as a strong female lead.

Ultimately, there’s no shortage of source material to pick at for inspiration when it comes to The Super Mario Bros Movie 2. However, if Universal wants to have the grandest stakes and take things to a huge level, then Super Mario Galaxy is the best option right now. They can then potentially pull things back down to the Mushroom Kingdom afterward to include the likes of Wario and Waluigi. But before that happens, it’s important to keep audiences hooked and engaged, and a movie taking place on various planets that are vastly different from each other is the best way of achieving that goal. The game has a lot of backstory that can be tapped into, all of which would make The Super Mario Bros Movie 2 as exciting as possible.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie

6/10

Release Date

April 5, 2023

Runtime

93 minutes

• 

  Chris Pratt

  Mario (voice)

• 

  Anya Taylor-Joy

  Princess Peach (voice)