Chris Pratt’s Mario voice under Bowser-level fire from fandom

It’s-a me, Mario! Or is it? Many who have seen the trailer for the upcoming The Super Mario Bros. Movie have taken to social media to express that Chris Pratt sounds nothing like Mario–or at least the Mario they grew up with.

Earlier this year, Chris Pratt told Variety, “I worked really closely with the directors and trying out a few things and landed on something that I’m really proud of and can’t wait for people to see and hear….I’m providing a voice for an animated character, and it is updated and unlike anything you’ve heard in the Mario world before.”

And that’s just the problem for some, as the below tweets show:

One Twitter user tried to redirect the focus to another key character:

If you thought the Mario fandom would be let down by Chris Pratt, just wait until they don’t get that. Come on, Nintendo, don’t let us down!

Mario Mario (yes, that’s his full name; no, we are not comfortable with it) only gets a couple lines in the trailer (embedded at the bottom of the article), comparable to the minor Penguin King character. But that was clearly enough to get people riled up. The criticisms mostly stem from the point that Mario sounds like Chris Pratt–which makes sense…But he’s also not just doing the same voice you’ve heard before. In other words, you hired Chris Pratt and not Charles Martinet.

Praise was, however, heaped on Jack Black, who, while you can still hear his actual voice in some delivery (wonder why!), he has brought character and a defining vibe to Bowser.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie hits theaters on April 7, 2023.

What do you think? Is Chris Pratt providing a suitable Mario voice or should he be flushed down the pipes? Let us know in the comments below!