For me, Mr. Charles Martinet is Mario Bros. And not because he physically resembles him, far from it. It’s because for 27 years, he has lent his voice to the Nintendo plumber, and his joy has accompanied us in every release, every game, and every video.
After 27 years of voicing Mario, Charles Martinet, the iconic voice behind the character, will be stepping away from the role, as announced in a Nintendo tweet.
Martinet took on the role in 1996’s Super Mario 64 and has provided the character’s voice in numerous games since then, including pivotal Mario titles like Super Mario Odyssey and Super Mario Galaxy, as well as countless spin-offs.
“Charles will now take on the new role of Mario Ambassador. With this new transition, he will no longer be recording character voices for our games,” reads Nintendo’s statement.
“It has been an honor to work with Charles in bringing Mario to life for so many years, and we want to thank him and celebrate it.”
Mario’s movie was the beginning of it all
“While he’s a fixture in video game history, Martinet’s absence as Mario’s voice was felt in the blockbuster Super Mario Bros. Movie, which premiered earlier this year. Chris Pratt took on the role there.
Speculation also arose about Martinet possibly not reprising his role as Mario in the upcoming Super Mario Bros. Wonder, set to release on October 20th, where Nintendo has yet to confirm anything. This could potentially mark his significant farewell.”
As players, we’re going to miss Charles Martinet for numerous reasons. First and foremost, he’s been an exceptional performer, with a personality and talent that transformed the voice of the character Mario Bros. into the most recognizable protagonist across the entire industry.
Secondly, it’s because he’s a kind, polite, friendly, and passionate individual. All the professionals who have crossed paths with him over these three decades affirm it: Charles Martinet is and will always be Mario Bros. No matter what comes next.
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