When Jack Black was announced as Bowser for “Super Mario Bros. Movie,” the internet rejoiced. After some…internal deliberation, Danny DeVito has offered himself up to play Wario in the next film. We don’t know for sure what the second film will be about, but we’re hopeful this offer makes it to the right Hollywood exec.
Because seriously, wouldn’t DeVito be awesome?
Wario initially made his debut as an antagonist in the 1992 Game Boy game, Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins. In that game he seizes control of Mario’s castle. Tatanga, the adversary in the inaugural Super Mario Land game, returns in the sequel as a subordinate to Wario. Which suggests that Wario is the mastermind behind the events of both games. It’s been reported that the creation of Wario stemmed from a Nintendo team’s exasperation over designing a game centered around a protagonist from another team.
Another Mario movie was announced, but is isn’t a sequel. Nintendo and Illumination say “Super Mario Bros. Movie 2 ” will have most of the same cast, but there may be some new familiar faces in the line up. Potential characters could be anyone from Rosalina to Waluigi, Wario, and more. They may also feature Yoshi more prominently, which would be very good from a children’s toy perspective.
“Tell them I’d take them to the cleaners,” DeVito said while laughing. “But I should be in the movie.”
Story possibilities for a Wario-involved film could tug at the heartstrings, if done right. One backstory says Wario’s characteristic behavior stems from childhood bullying. (His bully was none other than young Mario.) He particularly despised their cowboy games, as he was always cast as the outlaw, apprehended by the Sheriff. And who played the Sheriff? Always Mario. If the next film does feature Wario, it could show Mario and Wario as kids.
I also love a redemption story. So, I would hope that by the end they could have a more healthy relationship as rivals instead of outright enemies. It probably won’t happen, but I can dream!
The next “Super Mario Bros.” movie is slated to release April 3rd, 2026. You can catch the first film on Netflix now.
