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Mario is an iconic video game character and a household name even for families who don’t engage with his colorful adventures. One of the mustached plumber’s most recognizable features is his enthusiasm, which he usually expresses with a heartfelt “Wa-hoo” or “Let’s-A-Go.” Charles Martinet has been the voice of Mario since 1991, and for the first time in decades, the voice actor is stepping out of the recording booth to embrace a new role.
Martinet has been a staple of theSuper Marioseries for a long time, and aside from Mario, he also became the voice actor for other popular characters like Luigi, Wario, and common enemies like Thwomps and Boos. Knowing that Martinet will stay on Nintendo’s payroll as a “Mario Ambassador” is comforting, but what responsibilities come alongside the new position is still unclear.
Updated on October 28th, 2023, by Kyle Chamaillard:It’s been a while since the role of “Mario Ambassador” was first announced, and since then, a bit more information has come out about what the position entails. We have decided to update this article to clear away some speculation and include more concrete details about the gig.
What Is A Mario Ambassador?
Charles Martinet is the first person to hold the titleof “Mario Ambassador,” so the actual details of the position are still being unraveled. InNintendo’s initial post about the announcement, it mentions that “…[Martinet] will continuetraveling the world sharing the joy of Marioand interacting with you all!”
This could mean any number of things, but it’s been confirmed that Martinet will continue to voice the character outside the games at public events and presentations. Whether it’s at your local Comic Con or the next Nintendo Direct,there is a chance that the original voice of Mario could show upto sign autographs, interact with fans, or something more unexpected.
Since Nintendo announced the new role,a video starring Martinet and Super Mario Bros. creator Shigeru Miyamotowas revealed in early September to celebrate the voice actor’s legendary run as the iconic plumber. Aside from an anecdote about how Martinet used to call Miyamoto “Papa,” the video mostly re-confirms that the Mario Ambassador will travel the world, spreading and sharing the magic of Mario and Nintendo with fans everywhere.
Who Is The New Voice Of Mario?
It was confirmed before the launch ofSuper Mario Wonderthat Charles Martinet would not be returning to voice characters in the latest 2D adventure. After a long wait, it was eventually revealed thatKevin Afghani- a voice actor mostly known for his role inGenshin Impact- has taken on the role of voicing both Mario and Luigi.
Afghani’s performance as Mario and Luigi is similar to Martinet’s, though there seems to be a bit more playfulness in their laughs and cheers. It will be interesting to see if he can add more depth to these characters' voices over time, but for now, they sound just as good as they always have.
Nintendo has also stated thatMartinet will not be in the nextWarioWaregamefor the Nintendo Switch. It’s still unclear whether Afghani will be taking on the roles of other Super Mario characters like Wario and Waluigi, but time will tell sooner rather than later. Unfortunately, it’s also confirmed that Martinet will not be voicing Mario in the upcoming Super Mario RPG Remake.
While the lack of Martinet in Mario games feels sudden,his final credited appearanceas the character was in 2022’sMario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope.
The voice actor even made a couple of cameos inThe Super Mario Bros. Movieas the plumber’s father and another character named Giuseppe, who resembles Mario’s original design from Donkey Kong.
As sad as it is to see Martinet hang up his overalls in Mario’s recording booth, it’s exciting to see him still embrace his history as the character and have the opportunity to meet both new and longtime fans from around the world.
