John Leguizamo has been one of the most vocal opponents of the casting of the recent Super Mario Bros. Movie…and it doesn’t exactly have anything to do with Chris Pratt not sounding like the Mario you grew up with. Still, as Illumination’s movie nears $1 billion worldwide, Leguizamo says he would sign on for a future installment…provided the filmmakers are more inclusive next time around.
Speaking with IndieWire, John Leguizamo said of any potential involvement in a Super Mario sequel or spin-off, “If they start to do the right thing and add more inclusivity, I’d consider it.” In the same interview, he recalled, “I spoke my mind. The directors of the last one fought really hard to have inclusivity, to have me in there and it’s sad that they went backwards instead of forwards. They didn’t meet the times. I know it’s a big hit, but that doesn’t make it OK.”
John Leguizamo has spoken about his disappointment in the casting of the Super Mario animated movie numerous times before, tweeting back in 2021, “Obviously it’s iconic enuff. But too bad they went all white! No Latinx in the leads! Groundbreaking color-blind casting in original! Plus I’m the only one who knows how to make this movie work script wise!” This obviously proved false, as The Super Mario Bros. Movie is currently the highest-grossing movie of the year so far, besting even major players like Marvel’s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and John Wick: Chapter 4.
If John Leguizamo were to be cast in a sequel to The Super Mario Bros. Movie, one wonders what sort of role he would sign on for. Obviously Charlie Day has claimed Luigi, but there are still plenty of supporting characters in the franchise. Whoever or whatever it may be, one wonders if the speaking part would have to have a certain number of lines to truly calm Leguizamo.
How do you feel about John Leguizamo’s comments about more inclusivity in a Super Mario Bros. Movie sequel? Does he have a point or is he pushing the issue too much? Give us your take in the comments section below.