Charles Martinet, the iconic voice of Mario and several of Nintendo’s other biggest characters, will no longer be the voice of the world-famous plumber and will be moving into a new role at the company.
In a statement released today, Nintendo announced that Charles will be “stepping back from recording character voices for our games” and will become the company’s “Mario Ambassador.”
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The Veteran Voice Actor Will Now Be Nintendo’s “Mario Ambassador”
The announcement comes via Nintendo’s official X (formerly Twitter) account, where the company has stated that Charle’s Martinet, who has voiced the world-famous plumber since 1991, will no longer be the voice of Mario. Instead, he has transitioned into a brand new role at the company titled “Mario Ambassador.”
The company explains in minor detail that this new role will see Charles “continue to travel the world sharing the joy of Mario and interacting with you all,” likely meaning he will still attend conventions or events so fans get to meet him. The company also takes a moment to thank Charles for his many years of bringing Mario to life and that a special video message from Shigeru Miyamoto and Charles will be released later. Charles also quote-tweeted the announcement himself, saying, “My new Adventure begins! You are all Numba One in my heart! #woohoo !!!!!!!”
Charles has been the voice of Mario since 1991, when he first voiced the character for tradeshows before moving into video games, including Super Mario 64, Super Mario Galaxy, countless spinoffs, and more. He also voiced many other characters in the series, including Luigi, Wario, Baby Mario, and many more. Since then, he has gone on to become one of the most recognizable voices in gaming, with fans all around the world who have grown up hearing his cheerful, vibrant voice growing to love his work. He also always seems to be a happy, caring man who loves to meet fans and generally seems like a stand-up guy.
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It will likely be sad to see the actor no longer voicing these iconic characters, but after almost 30 years, we think he has earned a well-deserved break and change of scenery. Good luck in your new role Charles.
