Donald Glover Reveals The True Story Behind His Yoshi Casting In The Super Mario Galaxy Movie

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The highly anticipated movie, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, is generating a lot of excitement, and Donald Glover recently shared the story of how he was cast.

Released in 2023, The Super Mario Bros. Movie proved to be quite popular with audiences, even though critics were more divided. While critics gave it a 59% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, viewers loved it, giving it a 95% rating. The film was a huge financial success, earning over $1.36 billion globally. Nintendo brought the iconic Mario (voiced by Chris Pratt) and Luigi (voiced by Charlie Day) to the big screen in a new animated adventure, and now the famous plumbing brothers are embarking on a spacefaring journey.

I recently chatted with Jack Black – who’s wonderfully reprising his role as Bowser – and newcomer Donald Glover about the upcoming Super Mario Galaxy Movie. Glover let slip how he landed the role of Yoshi, a fan-favorite character joining the cast. It’s exciting to see a beloved figure from the Super Mario Bros. universe brought to life in the sequel!

You’ve both worked on incredible projects like Star Wars and Nintendo. What’s another world or franchise you’d love to be a part of?

Jack Black: Dude, I think she’s asking who are we going to write an email to?

Donald Glover: Yeah, she kind of is.

We were just discussing how it feels awkward to actively ask if you can join someone else’s project or world. It doesn’t feel very natural to just reach out and say you’d love to be involved.

Saying “Can I please come in?” is a polite way to ask for permission to enter. It avoids seeming presumptuous or inviting yourself in, which could be considered rude.

Donald Glover: Although, that’s exactly what I did. To be fair.

I contacted Chris and asked if they could use Yoshi. They said he’d likely just say his name, keeping things simple and classic. I offered to do the same – to keep it traditional myself.

Glover explained he landed the role of Yoshi by reaching out to Chris Pratt, who plays Mario, and assuring him he’d maintain Yoshi’s classic voice – a distinctive sound that fans will immediately recognize.

I remember when they cast Donald as Mario, I was completely blown away – I seriously wondered who had that brilliant idea! And then it hit me – he actually called himself Yoshi! It’s just… awesome. Honestly, I’d nominate myself too if I could!

Donald Glover: Always ask.

ScreenRant: The worst they can say is no, right?

Jack Black also points out that as a director or producer, it’s a huge benefit when an actor is really enthusiastic about a role. For anyone hoping to break into the film industry, he advises making your passion known – let people see how eager you are to work.

According to Black and Glover, a simple approach can get you far – and it certainly worked for Glover, who landed a role in a hugely successful franchise with just one phone call. The new Super Mario Bros. movie introduces a fresh danger: Mario and Luigi must prevent Bowser Jr. from rescuing Bowser and launching a space-bound adventure, where they’ll face challenges beyond the Mushroom Kingdom.

Okay, so I’m really excited for the Super Mario Galaxy Movie sequel! They’re adding some awesome new characters – Brie Larson is going to voice Rosalina, which is perfect casting, and Safdie is doing Bowser Jr. I’m also pumped to see Glenn Powell as Fox McCloud. The directors are hinting at even more surprises, and honestly, everyone’s hoping Wario or Waluigi will show up and cause some hilarious trouble. I’m already counting down the days!

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie soars into theaters on April 1.

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2026-03-28 21:55