The Future of the Nintendoverse After ‘Super Mario Galaxy’
The highly anticipated sequel to The Super Mario Bros. Movie is now in theatres, featuring most of the original cast, and some new big time additions to Nintendo and Illumination’s cinematic universe. One major character’s addition to the gang is sparking conversations all over social media about what the next film may be. Beware of spoilers!
When this clip was revealed in one of the final trailers for Super Mario Galaxy, fans went nuts on social media, theorizing that a certain Han Solo-style Space ranger would be apart of the film in some way, after spotting what looked to be his blaster on the left side of the screen. No way Nintendo would actually pull this off, right? Well not only did they include this tease in a blink and you miss it moment within the trailer, they doubled down, revealing that the iconic Star Fox member would be involved in a poster released a week before the sequel hit theatres.
After the poster was revealed, it raised lots of questions about Fox’s involvement in the film. Most people speculated that his role would be limited to a cameo appearance, but many also flirted with the idea that McCloud may actually be a larger part of the story. After another Instagram reveal, the answer was almost certain.
Now that Glen Powell was joining the cast, everyone was under the mindset that Fox would take on a larger role– and they weren’t wrong. The infamous lover of barrel rolls not only links up with the Super Mario gang, he becomes a critical piece of the second half of the story. He helps Princess Peach and Toad travel to the Space Junk Galaxy in exchange for a bunch of cash in hopes of finding and rescuing Princess Rosalina from the clutches of Bowser and Bowser Jr. During their journey, he reveals how he was trapped in their dimension, and ultimately succeeds in helping Peach. The seeds are clearly being planted for some sort of Spin-off.
So What’s Next?
There are three major plot points of the film that hint at some sort of Star Fox team up or spin-off. The first, is Fox’s backstory. During his monologue when he reveals he was trapped while defending the Lylat system, we see cameos of Falco, Slippy Toad, and Peppy Hare. You don’t give time to a whole back story reveal, and include his whole team without sprinkling bread crumbs. The second is Glen Powell being the voice. Casting an actor of his stature in a role like this, completely separate from the traditional Super Mario crew, is surely a sign. Finally, the first post-credits scene. Fox’s fate is revealed, and he used the funds from Princess Peach to fix his ship in search of a way back to his universe. Whether it’s a Star Fox spin-off, or a Super Smash Bros Avengers-style team up, Nintendo is cooking up something big for the future!
Joseph Viglucci 