Credit: Marvel Studios (left), Illumination Studios (right)
Nintendo may have struck box office gold with The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023), but it looks like the gaming giant has no intention of staying in one place for long.
With a sequel to the blockbuster Mario film already in the works for 2026, Nintendo is preparing to expand its movie universe—and Chris Pratt, the voice of Mario, might not be part of the next phase.
Credit: Marvel Studios
After decades of keeping its intellectual properties on a tight leash, Nintendo has fully embraced Hollywood. The company’s recent collaborations have proven incredibly lucrative, with The Super Mario Bros. Movie grossing over $1.3 billion worldwide. Now, The Legend of Zelda is next in line for a cinematic debut, with Maze Runner director Wes Ball at the helm. But that’s not all—behind the scenes, Nintendo is reportedly planning its next big move, and it could shift the entire direction of its film strategy.
A Strategic Shift After Mario’s Sequel
While Chris Pratt will return to voice Mario in the highly anticipated sequel, that may mark the end of Nintendo’s reliance on the star for future projects. Instead of building everything around the Mushroom Kingdom and its familiar faces, Nintendo appears to be zooming out and focusing on more of its extensive game library.
According to a report covered by The Direct, Universal is currently trying to secure the rights to a Metroid film, potentially signaling the start of a new franchise direction. If true, this would expand the scope of Nintendo’s cinematic ventures well beyond Mario—and without the need for Pratt’s involvement.
It’s important to note that while Mario and even Donkey Kong (rumored to get a solo spin-off) feel like part of a connected cinematic universe, Metroid is something entirely different. Set in a sci-fi world centered around the intergalactic bounty hunter Samus Aran, Metroid isn’t tied to the whimsical tone of the Mario universe. That contrast alone suggests Nintendo is ready to pivot away from what worked before and experiment with new genres and tones.
Credit: Universal Studios / Illumination
The Rise of the “Nintendo Cinematic Universe”
One theory gaining traction online is that Nintendo and Universal are laying the groundwork for a Marvel-style interconnected world. Think Super Smash Bros.—but on the big screen. That might explain the push to develop Metroid, with its serious tone and established lore, as a potential anchor for a broader universe that could eventually bring together Mario, Link, Samus, Donkey Kong, and others.
But this ambitious idea comes with a complication: Zelda. Nintendo has partnered with Sony Pictures—not Universal—for the live-action Legend of Zelda movie. That creates a split in the ecosystem. If Universal is building a so-called “Mario Cinematic Universe,” and Zelda is in Sony’s hands, how will Nintendo ever unify all its biggest characters in a Smash Bros. movie?
While there’s no concrete answer yet, it will be interesting to see how it unfolds in the next chapter.
Credit: Nintendo
What Comes After Chris Pratt?
With The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2 likely serving as a bow for the current lineup of characters, at least for a while—including Chris Pratt’s Mario—Nintendo seems ready to step into new territory. If the Metroid movie moves forward, it’s unlikely to involve Pratt at all. And if Nintendo continues to greenlight new projects based on games like Donkey Kong, Kirby, or even Fire Emblem, casting will inevitably shift toward actors and voices that better suit those narratives.
This isn’t about replacing Pratt due to poor performance—he helped deliver one of the highest-grossing animated movies of all time. But keeping the spotlight on Mario forever would limit the full potential of what Nintendo can offer. It’s clear the company doesn’t want to get stuck in a loop, constantly banking on the same formula.
Pratt was the face of Nintendo’s movie renaissance. Now, the studio may be ready to graduate from that phase, expanding its universe in a way that no longer requires a singular star to carry the brand.
Metroid Signals a New Chapter
The reported Metroid movie is still unconfirmed, but if it gets the green light, it will mark a major tonal departure for Nintendo. The Metroid games are darker, more mature, and more atmospheric than most of Nintendo’s colorful catalog. Samus Aran’s journey through alien-infested planets and space pirate strongholds will be much different than Mario’s.
Bringing that to life on screen could change how general audiences view Nintendo as a film studio. It’s a bold move—and one that wouldn’t make sense if they planned to keep riding the Mario wave indefinitely.
Credit: Nintendo
What’s Next?
Whether or not Chris Pratt continues to voice Mario after the sequel remains to be seen. But based on Nintendo’s rumored projects and recent moves, it’s clear the company wants more than just another successful Mario film. It wants a filmography.
Metroid could be the key to proving that Nintendo’s franchises have staying power beyond nostalgic kids’ movies. With Zelda already in motion and other IPs waiting in the wings, the time may be coming when the mustached plumber steps aside, and Nintendo’s next era begins.
And if that means moving on from the comfort of Chris Pratt and Mario to serve the stories of characters like Samus or Link? Nintendo seems more than ready.
