Today’s movie-focused Nintendo Direct has delivered the final trailer for The Super Mario Galaxy Movie while revealing new members of its cast – including Donald Glover (Community, Solo, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, The Lion King) as Yoshi.
The trailer itself is relatively straightforward, putting the spotlight on Bowser Jr. as he begins his plot to save his papa from the Mario brothers. We see Princess Peach’s castle ripped from the Mushroom Kingdom as Bowser reclaims his spot as the ruler of the Koopa army before getting a first look at Super Mario Bros. 2 villain Wart, but the biggest surprises actually revolved around its cast.
Illumination’s Chris Meledandri made an appearance during the Nintendo Direct to put theories concerning Yoshi’s actor to rest by announcing that Glover (a.k.a. Childish Gambino) will play Mario’s green dinosaur companion in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. It’s a twist not many expected, even after the internet did its best to figure out the name behind the familiar voice featured in previous trailers.
Other new cast additions are Luis Guzmán as Wart, who gets just a few seconds of screentime in today’s trailer, as well as Issa Rae as Honey Hive Galaxy’s Honey Queen.
“Since September of last year, we’ve been taking various initiatives for the Super Mario Brothers 40th anniversary,” Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto said during the Nintendo Direct. “This movie will be the centerpiece of the anniversary. We hope you enjoy Mario and friends’ new adventure on the big screen.”
Today’s Super Mario Galaxy Movie trailer expands its already large cast with a classic Super Mario Bros. 2 boss ahead of its April 1, 2026, release date. Previous have unveiled first looks at returning characters like Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Bowser, while also teasing appearances from newcomers, such as Bowser Jr. (Benny Safdie), Rosalina (Brie Larson), and Yoshi. Now that Wart has entered orbit, there’s still no explanation for one mysterious figure that many believe could be Star Fox leader Fox McCloud.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie comes to theaters in just a few weeks. In the meantime, you can read about a leak that has fans expecting to see another one of the biggest names from the Super Mario Bros. universe. You can also check out another leak that suggests the movie may include a cameo from a classic NES icon.
Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He's best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
