With box office takings of over 1.3 billion US dollars worldwide, "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" is one of the most profitable animated movies of all time. Naturally, there will be a sequel and the theatrical release date has already been set. What is "Super Mario Bros. 2" all about? Which popular characters are featured this time? Well, that's what this video is all about!

Introducing Yoshi!

So far, it is not clear whether the second film will be a direct sequel to part 1. At the time of the official announcement made by Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto, there was only talk of a so-called "new movie in the Super Mario Bros. universe". So it could well be that Mario and Luigi won't be the main focus at all, but that another character will be put in the spotlight: Set the stage for Yoshi!

Yoshi is an iconic character from the Mario universe. In the games, the cute dinosaur lives on an idyllic island world known as Yoshi's Island. While the green Yoshi is the best known, there are Yoshis in different colors, which often have special abilities. In Super Mario World 2, they even protect Baby Mario and help him rescue his brother Luigi. This close connection to Mario and Luigi means that Yoshi also becomes a faithful companion to the brothers in later adventures.

Yoshi is known for his impressive skills: He can perform high jumps and flutter in the air to cover great distances. With his long tongue, he can catch enemies and objects, which he swallows and turns into eggs, using them as projectiles. In some games, Yoshi can eat various fruits that give him special powers, such as breathing fire or flying.

Yoshi in the Mario Sequel

It is quite likely that the popular dinosaur will make an appearance in the second movie. After all, his fellow dinosaurs were already seen from afar in a brief shot in part one. What's more, one of the post-credits scenes clearly shows that something very special has made it to Brooklyn: namely a Yoshi egg! A Yoshi on the loose could certainly cause a lot of chaos in New York. Perhaps it's up to the plumber brothers to help the little Yoshi reunite with his family?

The city will certainly play a role once again in the sequel - after all, the return of Charles Martinet and Jessica DiCicco has already been confirmed. They voiced Mario's father and Pauline, the mayor of New York, in part 1.

The Villain

The question naturally arises as to who will be the villain in "Super Mario Bros. 2". It remains unclear whether Bowser will return. He is currently stuck in his cage in the Mushroom Kingdom. This would actually be an excellent opportunity for the appearance of Bowser Junior, who wants to rescue his father from the Mushroom Kingdom! But perhaps things will turn out quite differently: according to an interview, Bowser's dubbing voice Jack Black can even imagine the meanie joining Mario in battle to face an even greater threat!

Wario & Walugi in the Second Super Mario Movie

But who could take his spot as an opponent? One obvious candidate is Wario, one of Mario's old rivals. He has already made appearances in many games and represents the perfect antagonist as he is the exact opposite of Mario. This already starts with his looks: With the W on his cap and the spiky beard, he looks like the Italian plumber's evil twin. He is also greedy, selfish and uses all his might to get what he wants. Jack Black already has the perfect person to voice this role: he wants none other than Pedro Pascal to join him in "Super Mario Bros. 2".

The nice thing about Wario as a villain is that he could bring a second entertaining character with him. Because just as Luigi belongs to Mario, Waluigi is close to Wario! The two would definitely offer plenty of scope for a creative story, as they are not quite as well-known as Mario's classic antagonist Bowser. In an interview, Mario and Luigi voice actors Chris Pratt and Charlie Day were also asked who they could imagine for the cast. Their idea: they would simply take on the new roles of Wario and Waluigi as well. Quite a nice idea to underline the "evil twins" theme actually.

When Will the Super Mario Bros. Movie 2 be Released?

The film's production is already well underway - and will once again be made by Illumination, of course. As with its predecessor, the screenplay is being written by Matthew Fogel. Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic will also stay responsible for directing the movie. So the motto here is: no experiments when it comes to replicating the success of part 1. "The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2" will hit theaters on April 3, 2026.