The Internet is Freaking Out Over the Chris Pratt Mario Casting
Viewers watching the September 2021 Nintendo Direct practically choked when the Super Mario Bros movie announced its cast. First up on the list saw Mario creator and Nintendo game designer Shigeru Miyamoto announce Chris Pratt as Mario. The live chat exploded in disbelief. The following hours online only rocked the internet more.
The internet turned ‘Chris Pratt Mario’ into a meme
Online users work impossibly fast. Within the hour, a flood of ‘Chris Pratt Mario’ meme flooded Twitter en masse.
In an article reporting the chaos, IGN noted that “the internet became flooded with reactions, memes, and jokes over the seemingly controversial casting choice. Some supported the decision whilst others sighed a subdued “mamma mia” in response to the news.”
These ranged from Pratt with Mario’s mustache and hat to his roles merged with Super Mario Bros. aspects. Who would have thought we would see Pratt raptor training a herd of Yoshis?
Pratt is no stranger to working in animated films. Providing his voice for Emmet in The Lego Movie and Pixar’s Onward, the casting excited some fans.
Some fans remain hesitant. “A few people reflected on Pratt’s previous acting roles and struggled to envision how the actor was going to embody the famous fictional plumber to deliver the character’s signature Italian accent,” IGN said.
However, it seems that nothing online can happen without stirring up controversy. Before the Nintendo Direct even ended, fan backlashed ramped up.
Some fans hate the Chris Pratt Mario casting
One Twitter user summed up their reaction to the announcement with a clip from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 where Kurt Russell’s Ego tells Peter Quill some shocking news. Before Ego can finish saying, “I know that sounds bad!” Peter fires on him.
Some fans hate the Chris Pratt Mario casting decision, and they have not remained shy about saying it.
The fact that Charles Martinet, Mario and Luigi’s voice actor for 26 years, would not voice them disappointed many fans. Currently, Martinet fills the role of some unspecified cameos in the movie.
Several articles, such as Destructoid, praise the entire cast — except for Pratt. Noting in a headline that the “cast sounds pretty perfect outside of Chris Pratt,” Mario is in for a tough crowd.
However, many of the casting decisions have received general praise across the internet.
Charlie Day’s Luigi and Jack Black’s Bowser has fans excited
While the Chris Pratt Mario has the internet divided, the scales tip more in favor of other casting decisions.
Charlie Day as Luigi has spawned a number of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia memes and a push for Danny DeVito to play the titular plumber.
Another name that drew attention, Jack Black, came in as Bowser, the Super Mario Bros. villain. A more positive reaction came Black’s way.
While fans debate over casting decisions, the movie’s release date still sits more than a year away. Miyamoto announced that the film releases in North America on Dec. 21, 2022.
However, as the date nears, audiences can expect more news from Nintendo and Illumination in the coming months.
