A Super Smash Bros. movie is definitely in the works

Major spoilers too The Super Mario Galaxy Movie Forward!

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie surprised me. Naturally, I expected to enjoy it a bit – after all, I grew up with Mario, and I cherish the adventures I had with the gang throughout the Mushroom Kingdom. But as I grow older, there is one truth that stares back at me: not every part of it Super Mario the content is intended for me. My enjoyment as an adult is often secondary to younger audiences. That's how I felt about the first movie. It was perfect for a younger audience who were about to fall in love with Mario and his friends, just like I was when I was their age. The Super Mario Galaxy Moviehowever, took me on an adventure I didn't know I needed: one where, for just 90 minutes, I was a kid again. The nostalgic soundtrack of my childhood filled my ears. The strategic deployment of cameos and game booklets felt spectacular. And the only thing that could have made it more perfect was if I had seen the movie with my dad.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie was exactly what it needed to be. Super Mario was the height of escapism for little me. To no one's surprise, a nerdy girl in the middle of nowhere often sought refuge in pixelated screens and the stories of friendship and belonging that came with them. This film taps into that same energy with a confidence that the first film didn't quite have. It knows the audience is here for the spectacle, the references, and the rush of recognition when something familiar flashes across the screen. And that's where things started to feel different, like The Super Mario Galaxy Movie felt like a test drive for something unexpected.

The Super Mario Galaxy movie feels like a Smash Bros. Audition tape

I'll just say it: this movie has way more action than it absolutely needs. I don't necessarily mean that as a compliment, although I did like the plot. The set pieces were bigger, the stakes felt higher and the choreography of the fights felt straight out of something similar Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Even Princess Peach got in on the action. I swore I saw her pull off moves that looked suspiciously close to her Smash moveset, and once it clicked for me, I couldn't remove it. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie built towards a larger language which Smash fans instinctively understand.

Star Fox showing up was the “Oh, We're Doing This” moment.

Anyone who has even casually followed the promotion knew that Fox McCloud was showing up. But actually seeing him integrated into the film still felt surreal. Voiced by Glen Powell, Fox could easily have felt like a gimmick or a distraction. Instead, he slipped into the film with surprising ease. His presence doesn't overstay its welcome, and while his dynamic with Mario and the rest of the cast could have used more time to breathe, it worked enough to make one thing very clear: the door is open. And once that door is open, things start to look a little suspicious.

Cameos started to feel like a call-out

At one point I stopped trying to guess if another character would appear and started wondering who it would be. Seeing characters like ROB and Mr. Game & Watch showing up wasn't just fan service; it was a deliberate nod to a shared universe. For anyone who hasn't played Smashthese may have just been read as quirky, blink-and-you'll-miss-it additions. But for those in the audience who have? Every performance landed. At my local theater, every revelation had the audience roaring. In today's modern age, that's the kind of audience response you don't get unless you're leveraging something bigger than the film itself.

The Post Credits scene…

As a seasoned post-credit scene watcher, I knew I wouldn't be up until the last second. A couple of things went through my head when I saw the reveal I was hoping to see:

“Princess Daisy joins the cast!”
“She's so beautiful! They kept her darker skin tone from before Mario Party 4!
“Luigi is finally getting his partner!”
“Oh, we're definitely getting one Smash movie now!”

As a girl who wanted to grow up to be Princess Daisy (don't ask me how that goes), it's pretty exciting to see her join the cast. Her appearance was the kind of tease you'd expect from a franchise that knows it has momentum and is confident in its performance. But this also reinforces the pattern: expand the list, build the dynamic, and keep adding pieces to the board. Is it a follow-up bait? Yep.

Family

Super Mario Galaxy Movie Post-Credit Scenes, Explained

Nintendo fans will want to stick around for the Super Mario Galaxy Movie post-credits scenes.

Masterhand, we have a problem with the movie Smash Bros

There is an elephant in the room that is impossible to ignore. How about the rights to all the characters you will need to pull for one Smash Film? Here is the situation for the country right now:

Mario lives under Universal and Illumination.
Live action The Legend of Zelda The film is in development with Sony.
There are also non-Nintendo characters, which present a double-whammy of problems. But when it comes to strict film rights:
- Sonic is over at Paramount.
- Minecraft's Steve is with Warner Bros.

On paper a fully realized Super Smash Bros. film that draws from all these worlds sounds like a licensing nightmare. Which means if this happens it will probably start smaller. In any case, Nintendo-focused characters might be the smarter move to build the foundation.

I didn't expect the Mario Galaxy movie to work, which is why I think the Smash Bros. movie.

I didn't go into this movie expecting to love it as much as I did. I knew I was in for some enjoyment just because there was one Mario product, but I didn't expect to be a big advocate for people seeing this movie. This movie proves that Nintendo adaptations understand the missions: the plots can be basic, the piss can rest in the visuals, and no wheels need to be reinvented. They just need to feel like love letters, and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is undeniably a love letter.

So, yeah, I don't know exactly how a Super Smash Bros. film would work. Without any context, it sounds overstuffed, capitalistic and possibly ridiculous. But I also didn't think this movie would hit like it did. If this is what the warm-up looks like, it really feels realistic to one Super Smash Bros. Film to happen next. I just hope I get to see it with my dad.