Mario creator rules out Super Smash Bros movie at Nintendo

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Shigeru Miyamoto, the designer behind Mario and at Nintendo, has clarified that a Super Smash Bros. movie isn’t currently being planned. He stated that Nintendo isn’t focused on creating a shared cinematic universe at this time.

Ever since the successful release of The Super Mario Bros. Movie in 2023, fans have been hoping for a larger crossover event. The recent release of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie has only increased that excitement.

The latest movie features several Nintendo favorites like Star Fox, R.O.B., Wart, and Pikmin, leading many fans to wonder if Nintendo and Illumination are setting the stage for a large-scale, interconnected universe of stories.

Polygon recently asked Shigeru Miyamoto and Chris Meledandri (CEO of Illumination) about the possibility of a shared Nintendo movie universe similar to ‘Super Smash Bros.’ Their answer suggests fans shouldn’t expect one anytime soon.

Mario creator shuts down Super Smash Bros. movie 

Miyamoto explained that, unlike Super Smash Bros., he doesn’t anticipate all Nintendo characters appearing in one game. However, he noted that he enjoys including Pikmin as hidden surprises in various Nintendo series.

While working on The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Shigeru Miyamoto realized just how many different and unique characters make up the world of Mario.

He explained that when Illumination brought up different character ideas, it reminded him of things they’d already considered. He’d think, ‘Oh yes, that’s right, we had that character in mind previously.’

It really highlighted how diverse the characters in the Mario universe are. We already had a great cast for a movie, but we also wanted to include some fun surprises and hidden cameos.

You’ll notice a key character who’s really important to the story. I think we might see more characters introduced like this one down the line.

Meledandri clarified, “Saying ‘universe’ makes me think of a group of clever people meticulously planning out a decade’s worth of storylines and character appearances across multiple films.”

He clarified that their creative process is quite different from those of major franchises like the Marvel Cinematic Universe and DC Universe.

The brainstorming sessions focused on playful ideas for specific moments in the film. The team would often ask, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool if the Pikmin showed up here?’ and build from there.

If we all think it’s a good idea, we’ll ask Mr. Miyamoto for his opinion to see if it feels right. But this is more of a casual check-in than a planned move.

Fans are divided on whether Nintendo crossover could work

Before Shigeru Miyamoto even shared his thoughts, many fans were already debating whether a Super Smash Bros. movie could actually be successful, despite the initial excitement around the idea.

Why the Smash movie isn’t happening.
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If you haven’t heard of Super Smash Bros. before, it’s not like most fighting games with a big story. It’s more of a crazy crossover where characters from all sorts of famous games and worlds come together to battle it out in really fast-paced fights. It’s just pure, chaotic fun!

Although the Smash Bros. style works well in video games, many fans feel it doesn’t easily fit into a standard movie storyline. One Reddit user recently explained that excitement for a potential Smash movie started when Fox McCloud was revealed to be included in the upcoming Mario Galaxy film.

Okay, so I just heard some disappointing news. Basically, the thing we were hoping for? It’s probably not going to happen. They explained it’s a nightmare with licenses – apparently, getting all the characters from different companies would be a huge hassle. Nintendo would have to make a ton of complicated deals, and it just doesn’t seem likely to work out.

They also explained the creative difficulties, like blending the very different moods of games such as the relaxing Animal Crossing and the more intense Zelda. Another problem was figuring out how to make character strengths work in a movie when those strengths are balanced differently in the games.

Having so many characters created a problem, as any movie adaptation would have to exclude some popular figures. It also presented practical challenges, like making sure the different animation styles from various franchises would blend well together.

Ultimately, they believe the main challenge is the absence of a strong, unifying story. They don’t think past story modes, like those in Subspace Emissary or World of Light, would easily work as the basis for a single film.

Many people shared this opinion, but there’s a lot of debate about how it could actually be done. One person suggested focusing on the characters from the original Nintendo 64 game, similar to how Marvel built up to the Avengers movie.

Let’s start by making movies focused on the main characters, and then create the Smash Bros. movie afterward. This will ensure viewers are familiar with each character’s story before watching the team-up film.

One person suggested focusing a movie on the original Super Smash Bros. game instead of Ultimate, while another agreed, saying most fans expected a film based on Melee with a potential sequel covering Brawl.

Whatever the case, it doesn’t look like any of these ideas will be coming to fruition anytime soon. 

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2026-04-01 13:20