Best Super Mario movie memes: Chris Pratt as Mario 'game over' for some
Mario is supposed to be Italian, right? That's still a thing? Plus, Pratt delivers an "It's-a-me, Mario" line.
Chris Pratt. As Mario. No, really.
It might not be every serious actor's dream to play a video game character. But when Nintendo announced plans to team up with Illumination, the studio behind Despicable Me, for a new Super Mario movie, fans couldn't get enough of the news.
And no wonder: Look at this cast. Chris Pratt as Mario, Jack Black as Bowser, Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong and Anya Taylor-Joy as Peach. The movie is animated, so the actors will only provide voices of their characters, but still.
Fans had reactions to Thursday's news.
What even with this casting?
"So the 2 main characters... they just casted whoever was free huh?" wrote one person.
So the 2 main characters... they just casted whoever was free huh? pic.twitter.com/dmEWKiNCMs
— Dr. Bone-eating Vulture (@over__9__) September 23, 2021
"What timeline are we living in?" asked the official account for the Among Us game.
what timeline are we living in
— Among Us 🛠️ servers are fixed!! (@AmongUsGame) September 23, 2021
Snarked one Twitter user, "The Mario cast is so unhinged you could literally just put any actor's picture next to a character from the series and I'd believe it was real." (That's Jared Leto, and to our knowledge, he's not in the movie.)
The Mario cast is so unhinged you could literally just put any actor's picture next to a character from the series and I'd believe it was real pic.twitter.com/3eB0ti8hjx
— Nathan (@LuckRaiser) September 23, 2021
Chris Pratt as Mario
Chris Pratt's casting as Mario drew much of the attention and jokes. One tweet remembered Pratt in the Jurassic World films, comparing him to Mario and his dinosaur sidekick, Yoshi.
First Look at Mario and Yoshi in Super Mario Bros. (2022) pic.twitter.com/zskHGVTNH0
— 🦇 Chebi 🎩 | ❓0❓❓ (@MrChebi) September 23, 2021
Mario's extremely exaggerated Italian heritage was at the center of some jokes. "I'm fine with the Chris Pratt casting as Mario as long as it's extremely offensive and Nintendo has to issue an apology to the Italian community for it," one person said.
im fine with the chris pratt casting as mario as long as it’s extremely offensive and nintendo has to issue an apology to the italian community for it
— raandy (@randygdub) September 23, 2021
Chris Pratt is the Olive Garden in human form
— andi zeisler (@andizeisler) September 23, 2021
Imagining some guy on 4chan leaking “Chris Pratt is Mario. Seth Rogen is Donkey Kong” months prior to the announcement and just getting a bunch of “fuck off” comments
— Blake © ™ ® (@NeilNevins) September 23, 2021
Finally, Italians can understand how Jews feel about the cast of Marvelous Mrs. Maisel https://t.co/7U9njiysKA
— Helen Rosner (@hels) September 23, 2021
Hollywood once again not knowing why people like the videogames they adapt or even what they are, frankly
— Lizstar (@_Lizstar_) February 14, 2021
I can't wait to hear Chris Pratt as Mario. https://t.co/fwaRtYo7wS
ive always kind of felt that you cant make mario the main character because he doesn't have any flaws or struggles. nintendo have tackled this writing dilemma by establishing the character flaw of being voiced by chris pratt
— Rebecca Harding ✨ (@itsSupercar) September 23, 2021
Chris Pratt's reaction
Chris Pratt posted his own reaction to his casting on Instagram, remembering stealing a quarter from a wishing well to play Super Mario Brothers as a kid at a laundromat in Lake Stevens, Washington.
"Just dawned on me right now, the quarter I stole out of the wishing well to play Super Mario Brothers, (the wish) has come true, that I get to be the voice of Super Mario," Pratt said. "But clearly I stole somebody else's wish."
He also delivered the classic line, "It's-a-me, Mario," but immediately insisted "that's not the voice" he'll be using in the film.
Jack Black as Bowser
Comic actor Jack Black's casting as Bowser drew plenty of attention, too.
"Learning that Jack Black is Bowser was way more fulfilling than any Smash reveal," wrote one person on Twitter.
Learning that Jack Black is Bowser was way more fulfilling than any Smash reveal
— jacob alpharad (@Alpharad) September 23, 2021
bowser when mario is about to say homophobic slurs pic.twitter.com/sWTyIojE6G
— joe (@happygrowls) September 23, 2021
*Mario approaches Bowser's castle*
— 🍊beans made thighs🍊 (@beanzaru) September 23, 2021
Bowser: pic.twitter.com/dR9J7akFHL
Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong
Naturally, Seth Rogen's casting as Donkey Kong wasn't forgotten.
"The only casting announcement for the Super Mario Bros. movie that makes absolute sense to me is Seth Rogan as Donkey Kong," wrote one person.
The only casting announcement for the Super Mario Bros. movie that makes absolute sense to me is Seth Rogan as Donkey Kong. pic.twitter.com/spiSkVBP0P
— Mike Mika (@MikeJMika) September 23, 2021
"Frank from Sausage Party has the same voice actor as Donkey Kong from the Super Mario movie," noted the very specific Same Voice Actor Twitter account.
Frank from Sausage Party has the same voice actor as Donkey Kong from the Super Mario movie (2022)#Sausage#Mario
— Same Voice Actor 'Daily' (@Same_VoiceActor) September 23, 2021
Voiced by Seth Rogen pic.twitter.com/aL6RFxh9bM
I found Seth Rogens Donkey Kong audition tape. pic.twitter.com/6sgPNAAvI0
— Jordan (PoX) (@SonicpoX) September 23, 2021
When Donkey Kong Runs off with Princess Peach in the Mario movie. #NintendoDirect pic.twitter.com/dzX3dO6QAI
— TheAusSpideyGuy (@TheAusSpideyGuy) September 23, 2021
seth rogen becoming donkey kong for the super mario movie pic.twitter.com/ggOEKaE70c
— almojo (@AlmoJoNeko) September 23, 2021
A few CNET staffers also had thoughts on the eyebrow-raising casting. The movie is scheduled to arrive in theaters on Dec. 21, 2022.
