With “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” grossing $204.6 million domestically and $377 million globally in its debut over the five-day Easter weekend, it’s all but certain Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment will move forward with a “Super Mario” sequel. Jack Black, who voices the villainous Bowser in the blockbuster, is already thinking ahead, telling GameSpot that Pedro Pascal is his pick to voice Wario should the sequel bring in a new villain.
“It’s not a given that Bowser will return,” Black said. “You know, I did a few ‘Kung Fu Panda’ movies, and it was a different villain every movie. They may do the same thing.”
“You know, what if there is a more powerful, more evil villain?” Black continued. “Then I may need to be turned to help Mario and the rest to defend our universe against some other unseen force of evil. Are you thinking what I’m thinking? Wario! Pedro Pascal is Wario.”
Regardless of whether Wario will enter the movie franchise in the inevitable “Super Mario Bros. Movie 2,” another iconic Nintendo character appears to be well on his way to gracing the big screen. In the current film’s brief post-credits scene, a green-and-white-speckled Yoshi egg sits alone and cracks before the screen quickly cuts to black. It appears Yoshi could be a major player in a potential sequel.
In the Variety cover story on the making of “The Super Mario Bros. Move,” Illumination boss Chris Meledandri was vague when answering a question about potential sequels or future adaptations of Nintendo properties. “Our focus right now is entirely on bringing the film out to the audience, and at this time, we’re not prepared to talk about what’s coming in the future,” he said. “I definitely wouldn’t rule anything out.”
“The Super Mario Bros. Movie” is now playing in theaters nationwide.