It’s-a coming! Our favorite video game plumber has leveled up to the big screen in The Super Mario Bros. Movie. If it’s as successful as we think it will be, it won’t be the last animated film starring Nintendo’s iconic character. Especially it seems clear that the Mario franchise is tailor-made for the age of expanded cinematic universes. The cast and crew certainly want to make more of them. But which The Super Mario Bros. Movie spinoffs do we most want to see teased in the film’s post-credits scene we know we’re getting? Let-sa go list the seven Mario movie sequels and spinoffs we want Nintendo and Illumination to hit play on.
A Mario Party Spinoff Movie Could Offer Variety
A board game-style entry might not seem like an obvious choice for a movie adaptation, but that’s what makes it so good. One of the best sub-series in the Super Mario Bros. franchise can go in any direction, from a lighthearted Cannonball Run-style story to a Saw-inspired horror parody. Between all the different levels, mini-games, and boards there’s so much fun stuff to pull from Mario Party. And a big screen version might finally allow us to actually see someone collect all the Miracle Capsules. We have our fingers crossed for a Mario Party spinoff movie.
A Big Screen Luigi’s Mansion Would Give Us Chills
Speaking of horror, Luigi’s Mansion is a no-brainer Mario spinoff. Luigi himself, Charlie Day, is on board for the film already. Why wouldn’t he be? His adventures in a haunted mansion would easily translate into a movie. This could be the franchise’s answer to Ghostbusters, Poltergeist, and a million other films it could take inspiration from.
Charlie Day Wants a Donkey Kong Country Mario Movie Spinoff
Charlie Day isn’t the only cast member angling for a standalone spinoff. The voice of Donkey Kong, Seth Rogen, wants his own Donkey Kong Country spinoff and we hope he gets it. We know it already got its own TV series in the past, but that’s no reason not to have the big guy reunite with his nephew Diddy Kong in this new cinematic franchise. Action, adventure, comedy, and all the Kongs you could want? The question isn’t whether Nintendo should make this film—it’s why isn’t it already in development?
Super Smash Bros. Would Bring All Our Favorite Franchise Characters Together
We don’t want to see a Super Smash Bros. movie. We need to see a Super Smash Bros. movie. We’ve been dreaming about one for so long that we even came up with our dream cast for a live-action adaptation. But we’ll happily take an animated version, too. Think about how many great characters it could introduce to the big screen. Kirby, Fox McCloud, Samus, Captain Falcon, Ness, Link! The list goes on and on, and it only gets better the longer it does. This spinoff movie could be The Super Mario Bros. movie franchise’s Infinity War.
Let the Villains Shine in a Wario World Movie
Why should the good guys have all the movie-making fun? Some of the best characters in the world of Super Mario Bros. are villains, and few are more capable and worthy of headlining their own spinoff movie than Wario. The premise of Wario World could allow for a film to explore the character’s inherent madness and comedy. Watching him fight his own castle is everything we want from him. Plus, giving Wario a starring role in his own movie would keep him from owning our souls on the racetrack.
Super Mario Galaxy Needs to Take a Spinoff Movie to Space
Eventually, every—okay, many—great movie franchise goes to space. Well, Mario and Luigi already have a space adventure on their resume. That’s where Super Mario Galaxy takes place. This Mario spinoff movie could be the franchise’s sci-fi entry, with a universe full of possibilities for them to explore and run around.
Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time
The only place better for those Super Bros. to go besides space is back in time. From meeting and working with their baby selves to hopping around levels from older games, this might be the single most fun Mario spinoff movie idea. We could even see Mario travel back to lower-bit versions of himself. And the game’s “time holes” could even be used to introduce more future spinoffs.
Bonus Levels/Super Mario Bros. Spinoff Movie Ideas
Here are a few more ideas we have for the SMBU for Phases II and III.
Mario Golf: Mario’s long and storied athletic career deserves a sports film spinoff. A golf course makes for a better setting than a tennis one.
Super Mario Maker: Think of how much fun it would be to see a villain creating the most elaborate/ridiculous courses for Mario to survive.
Yoshi’s Island: Give our favorite egg-laying, enemy-eating dino and his brethren their own Jurassic Park vehicle. It’s only fair after all these years of using Yoshi as our own vehicle.
Super Princess Peach: We’re confident Peach is going to get her own Mario spinoff movie eventually. We just hope it brings in even more of the franchise’s great women characters.
Paper Mario: The Origami King: We love the Paper Mario games. We also love the idea of seeing its animation style translated to the big screen. So, anyone up for another multiverse?
Super Mario Odyssey: Mario and Cappy, a sentient hat that lets Mario possess other characters and objects, is the big-screen duo we deserve.
Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle: This Super Mario/Raving Rabbids crossover would make for a very fun spinoff movie, one that offers something wholly different in terms of story, characters, and visuals.
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker: A perfect vehicle to let both Toad and Toadette shine in a plot easily adaptable for a longer narrative.
Mario Kart: The only reason this didn’t make our top seven potential spinoffs is because it will play a big role in the upcome The Super Mario. Bros Movie. But that doesn’t mean the racing game can’t be the focus of a future installment.