The Super Mario Galaxy Movie adds Donald Glover and Issa Rae
The little green dinosaur finds his voice
Donald Glover, of Community and Atlanta fame, has officially been confirmed as the voice of Yoshi in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, adding another big name to the animated sequel’s already stacked cast.
The announcement came during a Nintendo Direct livestream, where Illumination CEO and producer Chris Meledandri revealed that the Emmy-winning actor, also known to music fans as Childish Gambino, will voice Mario’s long-time dinosaur companion. The news puts an end to months of speculation online about who was behind Yoshi’s voice in earlier trailers.
Yoshi, the green egg-laying dinosaur and one of the most beloved characters in the Mario universe, typically doesn’t say a lot, but fans are still eager to see how Glover’s performance will bring the character to life.
The film serves as the follow-up to 2023’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which became a huge box office success and helped kickstart Nintendo’s push further into film.
Chris Pratt returns to voice Mario, with Anya Taylor-Joy back as Princess Peach and Charlie Day once again playing Luigi. Jack Black also reprises his role as Bowser, alongside Keegan-Michael Key as Toad and Kevin Michael Richardson as Kamek.
Several new characters are also joining the adventure. Brie Larson will voice Princess Rosalina, the cosmic protector who first appeared in the 2007 video game Super Mario Galaxy, while Benny Safdie plays Bowser Jr., the Koopa King’s son. Elsewhere, Luis Guzmán joins the cast as classic Super Mario Bros. 2 villain Wart, and Issa Rae voices the Honey Queen from the Honeyhive Galaxy.
Plot details remain fairly light, but the sequel will see Mario, Luigi, and Peach venture beyond the Mushroom Kingdom and into space after Bowser and Bowser Jr. begin a new scheme. Looking at the latest trailer, the heroes will travel across several different planets, including a volcanic world, an underwater planet and a neon-lit techno landscape filled with gravity-defying obstacles.
Along the way, they’ll team up with Rosalina and Yoshi while facing a range of familiar enemies. Yoshi was teased at the end of the first film, so we've known for quite some time that the green dino would appear.
Wart appears briefly in the new trailer, while fan-favourite character Birdo is also teased, though no voice actor has yet been confirmed for the role.
Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto said during the Nintendo Direct that the film forms a key part of the character’s 40th anniversary celebrations. “Since September of last year, we’ve been taking various initiatives for the Super Mario Brothers 40th anniversary,” Miyamoto said. “This movie will be the centrepiece of the anniversary.”
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic, the same duo behind the first film, and is produced by Nintendo and Illumination. Universal will distribute the movie when it lands in cinemas on April 1, 2026.
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