The new voice actor behind Mario and Luigi in Super Mario Bros. Wonder has finally been revealed, and they are relatively unknown in the video game space. This marks the first new voice actor for Mario in the video game world since the mid-90s, as another performer had the role locked down for decades.
The voice of Mario in nearly every video game was provided by Charles Martinet, who first voiced the plumber back in 1994’s Mario Teaches Typing. Martinet provided the voice of Mario, as well as Luigi and Wario, in numerous video games, becoming closely associated with the character. In 2023, Martinet revealed he was stepping down from the role and becoming a Mario ambassador, allowing a new actor to don the red and blue overalls.
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Mario Will Be Voiced By A New Actor In Super Mario Bros. Wonder
Martinet revealed that he wouldn’t reprise the Mario role for Super Mario Bros. Wonder, which left fans guessing as to who would take over the role. After months of speculation and detective work, the new voice actor for Mario has been revealed. Kevin Afghani has announced that he is providing the voice of Mario and Luigi in Super Mario Bros. Wonder.
Afghani’s main video game role outside of Super Mario Bros. Wonder is Genshin Impact, where he provides the voice of Arnold. Fans of Dragon Ball Abridged might also recognize his voice as Raditz from Dragon Ball R&R, a fan-made audio drama created by MasakoX that details Raditz’s life if he had turned good.
As of the time of writing, Super Mario Bros. Wonder has yet to be released, so we can’t judge Afghani’s performance in the game. Then again, the Super Mario Bros. video games haven’t exactly been brimming with dialogue in the past.
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It’s unclear whether Afghani will keep the Mario & Luigi role in the same way that Martinet had for years or whether Nintendo plans on using different actors for each future entry in the series. If he keeps the role, he has earned the gig of a lifetime, as there are few characters more iconic than Mario.
