The Super Mario Galaxy Movie has added even more star power to the popular video game adaptation franchise by adding a Marvel star and an esteemed director in two major parts.
As announced by Nintendo in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie Direct livestream on YouTube, Avengers: Endgame star Brie Larson has joined the cast as "cosmic protector" Princess Rosalina, and director turned actor Benny Safdie has been cast as the "mischievous" Bowser Jr. The two made their debut in the new Super Mario Galaxy Movie trailer.
It is pretty fitting that Princess Rosalina is appearing in the new movie, as the character was first introduced in the Super Mario Galaxy game. Known as Watcher of the Stars, Rosalina is responsible for protecting the cosmos and the Lumas, and can often be found in the Comet Observatory, which we got a sneak peek of in the new trailer.
Bowser Jr., on the other hand, is a troublemaker. With his dad, Bowser, now shrunken due to eating a mini mushroom at the end of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, we expect Junior to take on more of an antagonist role in the sequel. In the trailer, Bowser Jr. approaches Mario and says, "I'm Bowser Junior, and I'm going to be taking my father now." In the games, the heir of the Fire Kingdom is a formidable opponent, but is not as powerful as his dad.
Larson is best known for playing hero Captain Marvel in the MCU, but has voiced animated characters before, more recently in the Netflix series Scott Pilgrim Takes Off. Benny Safdie is one-half of the Safdie brothers directing duo, helming Uncut Gems and Good Time. But Safdie has appeared as an actor in many films, such as Happy Gilmore 2, and will next star in Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey.
Larson and Safdie join returning cast members Chris Pratt as Mario, Charlie Day as Luigi, Jack Black as Bowser, and Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach. Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic return to direct from a script written by Matthew Fogel. Brian Tyler is also returning to compose the score.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie hits cinemas on April 3, 2026. For more, check out our guide to upcoming video game movies. Then pick up your controller and dive into our list of the best Switch 2 games.
