Mario will have a new voice actor in the upcoming Super Mario Bros. Wonder, and the internet thinks it has finally deduced who it (possibly) is–Mick Wingert.
Back in August, Nintendo confirmed fan speculation that longtime Mario voice actor Charles Martinet would not be voicing the character in Super Mario Bros. Wonder. Martinet instead would be transitioning into a new role as a “Mario ambassador,” where he will travel the world to interact with fans. However, despite Nintendo announcing Martinet’s departure, it didn’t reveal who would be taking up the Mario mantle in his place, leaving fans to wildly speculate.
That brings us to today. Via Video Games Chronicle, a datamined list of voice actors allegedly from a hacked kiosk demo of Super Mario Bros. Wonder intended for US retail stores has made its way online. Though anyone can post anything on the internet and claim it to be true, the original poster did attach screenshots for previously unseen levels from World 1 of Super Mario Bros. Wonder, lending the list of datamined voice actors an air of authenticity.
The only problem is that the list of voice actors obtained from the datamine doesn’t state which actors are voicing which characters, leading users like Famiboards’ user MondoMega to do some sleuthing to find out who is playing whom. By cross-referencing each actor’s previous voice work and eliminating voice actors who are most likely reprising previous roles, the internet thinks it has narrowed down the list and might now know who the new Mario is.
While still unconfirmed, it seems the internet’s best guess is that Wingert is the new voice of Nintendo’s plucky plumber, based on his previous work and the fact he has previously voiced characters in other Nintendo games like Fire Emblem Heroes. One other possibility is Kevin Afghani, though fans think he’s more likely voicing Super Mario Bros. Wonder’s talking flower instead of the title role.
Other revelations to come out of the datamine include the suggestion that longtime Daisy voice actor Deanna Mustard has been recast. Other voice actors, like Samantha Kelly, appear to be returning to play previous roles, with Kelly likely returning to her role as Peach, Toad, and Toadette. That being said, it’s best to take all of the speculation and datamining deducing with a grain of salt for now.
Fans won’t have to wait long to officially find out who Mario’s new voice is. Super Mario Bros. Wonder releases on October 20 for Nintendo Switch.
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