The new voice of Wario — or at least, the person behind his grumpy moustachioed mouth in WarioWare: Move It! — looks to be Kevin Afghani, the actor also cast as the new voices of both Mario and Luigi.
13.10.2023 - 19:47 / theverge.com / Charles Martinet / Flower Kingdom / Kevin Afghanistan / New
By Ash Parrish, a reporter who has covered the business, culture, and communities of video games for seven years. Previously, she worked at Kotaku.
After months of speculation, conspiracy theories, and false alarms, we finally know the name of Mario’s new voice actor: Kevin Afghani. On Friday, Afghani announced the news on X (formerly Twitter), saying, “Incredibly proud to have voiced Mario and Luigi in Super Mario Bros. Wonder. Thanks to Nintendo for inviting me into the Flower Kingdom!”
Nintendo confirmed the news in an email, saying simply, “The voice actor’s name is Kevin Afghani.” The news comes after iconic voice actor Charles Martinet stepped away from the role in August to become a Mario ambassador.
Nintendo has been secretive about who the new voice actor would be, saying that it would reveal the actor in the credits of Super Mario Bros. Wonder. Rumors circulated naming several actors as the titular plumber, including Mark Wingert, who later denied that he was playing Mario in Wonder. Earlier this week,VGC reported that a demo version of the game had been datamined, revealing the voice talent in the game. Though the list is arranged in alphabetical order by last name, Afghani is, coincidentally, at the top of the list. Below is a demo reel from Afghani or you can just watch the Wonder trailer again to get an idea of what he sounds like.
”Kevin Afghani animation demo”
Afghani’s IMDb page is relatively sparse, with six credits and no standout roles. He played Raditz in the Dragon Ball R&R series, voiced Arnold in Genshin Impact, and did a voice in a show hilariously titled Anime Penguin: Red Snow.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder launches on the Nintendo Switch on October 20th.
/ Sign up for Verge Deals to get deals on products we've tested sent to your inbox daily.
The new voice of Wario — or at least, the person behind his grumpy moustachioed mouth in WarioWare: Move It! — looks to be Kevin Afghani, the actor also cast as the new voices of both Mario and Luigi.
There are many mysteries in the video game space that we’re not likely to get answered anytime soon. Then, there are the “curiosities” that honestly don’t make sense even WHEN someone in charge explains them. Case in point, Super Mario Bros Wonder was a landmark title for Nintendo both upon its announcement in June and its release last week. But not just because the game pushed the bounds of 2D platforming in unique ways but because there was a key change behind the scenes. Specifically, the longtime voice of Mario, Charles Martinet, was replaced. But despite that big departure, we didn’t find out who was the voice of Mario until MUCH later.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder fans are now comparing the quality of Mario’s new voice actor with his old one. This is due to Kevin Afghani taking over the Mario role from Charles Martinet in Super Mario Bros. Wonder.
Super Mario Bros Wonder is out now, and gamers have been enjoying much of what the game offers. There was a bit of a worry early on that things might be “too wacky” or “too weird” for their tastes, but it soon became clear that the game is a fountain of creativity that many gamers are definitely going to try and replicate in one form or another. However, little “oddities” made fans wonder if they wouldn’t like them. One of them is the “talking flower” that is prevalent throughout the Flower Kingdom and reacts to various things.
Do you ever wonder what it would be like if someone commented on every decision you made in Mario? Well, according to a recent Super Mario Bros. Wonder developer interview, the idea of live commentary was tested for the game.
Mario-themed buses have appeared around London – and Nintendo is offering prizes if you spot one.
Super Mario Bros Wonder is set to introduce a big change to the Mushroom Kingdom as the voice of Mario passes on to a new actor. Who is the new voice of Mario, though?
The new voice actor behind Mario and Luigi in Super Mario Bros. Wonder has finally been revealed, and they are relatively unknown in the video game space. This marks the first new voice actor for Mario in the video game world since the mid-90s, as another performer had the role locked down for decades.
Even my crusty old heart has melted at seeing how much everyone loves Baldur's Gate 3's companion characters—especially the actors who portrayed them. As reported by Polygon, after some reprised their roles for a High Rollers tabletop one-shot, many in the cast have been sharing playlists tailored to their characters.
Square Enix hosted a panel for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth at New York Comic-Con 2023 hosted by Critical Role’s Matt Mercer, in which the Final Fantasy VII Rebirth voice cast discussed their experiences voicing the game’s iconic characters. During the panel, Matt Mercer confirmed he will voice Vincent Valentine, and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth director Naoki Hamaguchi appeared for a surprise question-and-answer session at the end.
The Owl House may be officially over, but the love for the show — from both fans and the people behind it — lives on. At this year’s New York Comic Con, Sarah-Nicole Robles, the voice of plucky human Luz; Cissy Jones, the voice behind stern witch Lilith; and Avi Roque, who voices secret rebel bard Raine Whispers got together to discuss their time on the show.
With Super Mario Bros. Wonder out soon on the Nintendo Switch, actor Kevin Afghani revealed on Twitter that he voices Mario and Luigi.