The new voice actor behind Mario in Super Mario Bros. Wonder is also the new voice of Wario in WarioWare: Move It!, Nintendo has confirmed. Voice actor Kevin Afghani has taken over for Charles Martinet in the roles of Mario and Luigi and, now, Wario.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder Fans Are Debating The Quality Of Mario’s New Voice Actor
24.10.2023 - 18:43 / gamepur.com / Scott Baird / Kevin Afghanistan / New
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.
Charles Martinet announced his retirement from the Mario series in 2023 after playing the role since 1994. Martinet has moved onto a brand ambassador role for Nintendo and won’t be voicing the famous Italian plumber anymore. This also means that Martinet won’t be playing any of the characters from the Mario franchise that he has voiced in the past, including Luigi, Wario, and Waluigi.
Related: Super Mario Bros. Wonder Elephant Power-Up Plushies Coming 2024
Super Mario Bros. Wonder Fans Debate Whether Kevin Afghani vs Charles Martinet
Now that Super Mario Bros. Wonder is available, fans on the Mario Reddit are now comparing the new voice with the old, as Kevin Afghani is playing Mario in his latest adventure. Bear in mind that Mario doesn’t say a great deal in his games, and the role wouldn’t be anywhere near as scrutinized if the character wasn’t so famous.
Surprisingly, many fans have a positive reaction toward the new voice. Some people cannot tell the difference, which is good, as it means Afghani has nailed the iconic voice. Some fans think the voice sounds notably younger, but the change isn’t a distraction.
It’s common for video game fans to respond poorly when new actors take over famous roles. In this case, Martinet had decided that his time in the red overalls was up, so someone needed to take over the Mario role, and Afghani had done a good job in his first outing.
Related: Wave Of Super Mario Games Leaves Me Wondering, “Where Is Odyssey 2?”
It’s unclear whether Nintendo intends to keep Afghani in the Mario role. While it might be a while until the next mainline Mario game is released, there are always Super Mario Bros. spin-off titles in the works, so we’ll see if Afghani will have the staying power that Martinet had accumulated over decades of playing Mario.
About the author
Scott Baird
Scott has been writing for Gamepur since 2023, having been a former contributor to websites like Cracked, Dorkly, Topless Robot, Screen Rant, The Gamer, and TopTenz. A graduate of Edge Hill University in the UK, Scott started as a film student before moving into journalism. Scott covers Dungeons & Dragons, Final Fantasy, Pokémon, and MTG. He can be contacted on LinkedIn.
More Stories by Scott Baird
The website gametalkz.com is an aggregator of news from open sources. The source is indicated at the beginning and at the end of the announcement. You can send a complaint on the news if you find it unreliable.
Top Authors
Popular Topics
gamesradar.com
01.11.2023 / 22:01
Ultimate Universe #1 sets up the rise of "hundreds" of new Ultimate Marvel heroes
Writer Jonathan Hickman's new Ultimate Universe has officially launched. And while readers previously got some hints from Marvel about what's in store, with some particularly interesting news about the new Ultimate Spider-Man already being teased by the publisher.
eurogamer.net
01.11.2023 / 14:17
Wario's new voice actor now seemingly confirmed
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.
pcgamer.com
27.10.2023 / 20:27
Itch.io's new Games for Gaza bundle is raising funds for medical care for Palestinians
Itch.io has put together a new bundle of more than 250 games to raise funds in support of Medical Aid for Palestinians, a UK-based charity founded in 1982 that «works in partnership with Palestinian communities to uphold their rights to health and dignity.»
gameranx.com
26.10.2023 / 19:49
Why Did Nintendo Keep Mum On Super Mario Bros Wonder Actor?
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.
pcmag.com
24.10.2023 / 21:43
Godfathers of AI Have a New Warning: Get a Handle on the Tech Before It's Too Late
Two dozen experts, AI scientists, and researchers—including two of the three "godfathers of AI"—are calling for AI firms to be held responsible for their actions and for governments to regulate AI more effectively.
gamepur.com
19.10.2023 / 19:45
Super Mario Bros. Wonder Elephant Power-Up Plushies Coming 2024
Anyone wanting to own a tiny Elephant Mario will be in luck in 2024, as Super Mario Bros. Wonder plushies are on the way. This release window is currently only set for Japan, but international fans will almost certainly be able to purchase their own Proboscidea-style Mario in the future.
destructoid.com
19.10.2023 / 03:55
Super Mario Bros. Wonder team once experimented with live commentary
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.
gamepur.com
18.10.2023 / 18:53
Super Mario Bros. Wonder Developers Cut Tsundere Commentary
Super Mario Bros. Wonder was once planned to feature live commentary, with one of the voices being a Tsundere character. Unfortunately, Nintendo cut this concept from the final version of the game, so you’ll never know whether the Talking Flowers like you or not.
gamepur.com
18.10.2023 / 00:05
Super Mario Bros. Wonder Devs Reveal Cut Inflation Power
The developers of Super Mario Bros. Wonder have revealed that the game once featured an inflation-themed power-up, but it was cut during development. This would have been tied to Super Mario Bros. Wonder’s new elephant transformation, which makes characters bigger and stronger and lets them fire water from their trunk.
radiotimes.com
16.10.2023 / 10:41
Who voices Mario in Super Mario Bros Wonder? New actor revealed
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?
gamepur.com
16.10.2023 / 02:39
Mario’s New Voice Actor Has Been Revealed
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.