‘Super Mario Bros.’: Jack Black Threatens to ‘Barbecue and Eat’ Chris Pratt’s Mario
Jack Black is ready to bring the heat as Bowser in Super Mario Bros. Nintendo unveiled the star-studded cast for the animated film in September, featuring the comedian as Mario’s fire-breathing nemesis. Meanwhile, Chris Pratt will take on the voice of the famous Italian plumber. Super Mario Bros. is still more than a year away from release, but Black has already started smack-talking his co-star. Here’s what he said about Pratt and the battle between Mario and Bowser.
Jack Black will play the lead baddie in ‘Super Mario Bros.’
During the September Nintendo Direct, game director Shigeru Miyamoto himself appeared to announce the stars of Nintendo and Illumination’s Super Mario Bros. creation. In addition to Black and Pratt, the film includes Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach and Charlie Day as Luigi. Seth Rogen and Fred Armisen will voice Donkey Kong and Cranky Kong, respectively, while Keegan-Michael Key will voice Toad.
Bowser won’t be the only Mario villain to appear in the movie. Mario will have his hands full fending off Kamek, Bowser’s Magikoopa sidekick (Kevin Michael Richardson), and Spike, one of Bowser’s many minions (Sebastian Maniscalco). It’s not clear yet what Bowser’s evil plan will be this time, but it will undoubtedly include a Princess Peach kidnapping.
Jack Black’s Bowser is ready to battle Chris Pratt’s Mario in ‘Super Mario Bros.’
Black expressed his excitement for the role in a recent interview with Heavy Consequence. The actor has also already laid the groundwork for a heated rivalry between Bowser and Mario, as he threatened to “barbecue and eat” Pratt’s character.
“Hey Pratt-Pratt, I’m coming for you. Yeah, Bowser’s gonna eat you whole,” he said. “I’mma barbecue you and eat you. Barbecue chicken [slurp]!”
In addition to the smack talk, Black spoke about his connection to the Super Mario franchise. He revealed that he’s a longtime fan of Nintendo, going “way back” to Donkey Kong in 1981.
“Am I a Mario Bros. fan? Dude, I go way back,” Black explained. “I go Donkey Kong! I was there when Nintendo was in short pants.”
Jack Black’s voice acting credits might make him perfect for the role
Black has a long list of voice acting credits, some of which have involved video games. The comedian has lent his voice to video game characters since the early 2000s. As Screen Rant reported, he appeared in 2005’s King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie. He then starred as the voice of Eddie in Brütal Legend in 2009 and as Harm’ny Lightbeard in 2015’s Broken Age.
Most recently, Black provided voice work for Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1 + 2 in 2020 and Psychonauts 2 in 2021. Black’s work on the Super Mario Bros. film will mark his first time voicing a major video game baddie, but he certainly seems ready for the challenge.
The Super Mario Bros. film will arrive in North American theaters on Dec. 21, 2022. Stay tuned to Showbiz Cheat Sheet for more news about the project and its cast.
