Peach’s Journey Of Self-Discovery & Luigi’s Growth In Super Mario Galaxy Movie Broken Down By Stars

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Mario and Luigi, the beloved brothers known for fixing leaks, return in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, and things are a little different this time around.

Picking up right after the first movie, Mario and Luigi are now heroes living in the Mushroom Kingdom and trying to help Bowser become a better person. As they settle into their new lives and Mario starts to fall for Princess Peach, Bowser Jr. shows up to rescue his dad and kidnaps Princess Rosalina, hoping to team up and become the galaxy’s biggest villains.

Chris Pratt and Charlie Day are back as Mario and Luigi in the new film, alongside a talented cast including Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach and Jack Black as Bowser. Donald Glover joins as Yoshi, with Brie Larson as Princess Rosalina and Keegan-Michael Key reprising his role. The movie, written by Matthew Fogel and directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic, has received excellent reviews and a 90% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, suggesting it will be a big hit in theaters.

To celebrate the new movie, Ash Crossan from ScreenRant spoke with Chris Pratt, Benny Safdie, Keegan-Michael Key, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Charlie Day about The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. When asked how new characters will affect those returning, Taylor-Joy hinted that Peach “is on a self-discovery journey” in the sequel, hoping to finally learn about her mysterious past.

Anya Taylor-Joy really enjoyed playing a character who questions her identity and how she arrived in the Mushroom Kingdom. She also had a lot of fun with the more adventurous, space-traveling aspects of the role.

As a movie fan, I loved how Day talked about really feeling Luigi’s anxiety and constant dread – it was so relatable! He thinks a big part of this new movie is seeing Luigi learn to cope with those fears, which is cool. Anya Taylor-Joy also connected with Peach, saying her character always finds a way to solve problems. She described it as a shared quality between herself and the character, a little something we both have going on, and honestly, Keegan-Michael Key and Jack Black both said they wished they had that same ability!

Like Luigi, Toad will also be dealing with personal insecurities in the new Super Mario Galaxy Movie. This is a contrast to his more self-assured portrayal in the first film. Key, who voices Toad, shared that he personally connected with the character’s development, describing it as a deeply emotional experience.

Toad Is Threatened By Yoshi’s Cuteness In Super Mario Galaxy Movie

ScreenRant asked how the introduction of new characters is changing the relationships between existing ones, specifically mentioning potential jealousy and how the characters are reacting to these newcomers.

As an actor, animated roles can be really rewarding. Often, animated movies focus so much on what happens in the story that it’s hard to really explore the character’s feelings. But in this film, it was easier. My character, Toad, feels genuinely threatened by Yoshi, who comes in and seems to steal the spotlight. Toad worries about losing all the good relationships he’s built, and that emotional struggle was fun to play.

Anya Taylor-Joy: He’s pretty cute.

Keegan-Michael Key: Yeah, he’s pretty bloody cute.

ScreenRant: They are like the two cutest.

Keegan-Michael Key explained that there was initially one adorable character, and then another equally cute one appeared. The character Toad is now struggling to cope with this new level of cuteness.

ScreenRant: What aspect of your character do you relate to the most?

Charlie Day: Luigi, he’s a pretty welcoming guy.

Anya Taylor-Joy: You see the goodness in everybody.

Charlie Day says the filmmakers definitely saw potential in Bowser’s character for this movie. While it’s not a completely new Bowser, it’s a younger version, and they believe he’s undergone a change.

Anya Taylor-Joy: He’s just very small.

Charlie Day explained that even Yoshi was okay with adding another person to the group, suggesting a duo could become a trio. He feels Luigi is flexible and goes along with things.

ScreenRant: Luigi and Bowser’s dynamic was cracking me up. Oh my God, it was great.

Anya Taylor-Joy: He believes in him.

Keegan-Michael Key: He really does. He has a lot of hope for him.

Charlie Day: Yeah. It’s like somebody just needs to let him know he could be a good guy.

Safdie Had An “Instantaneous” Response To His Bowser Jr. Casting Offer

In the new game, Mario and Luigi are surprisingly good at fixing pipes! That makes us wonder: what are you really good at? What skill or task do you feel most confident tackling in your own life?

I’m always amazed by Chris Pratt’s honesty. He’s said that outside of acting and the occasional press event, he doesn’t really have any skills he’d consider worthwhile. It’s fascinating – he genuinely doesn’t know what he’d do with himself if he wasn’t an actor. It’s a really humble and refreshing thing to admit.

Benny Safdie: Secret skills. I like taking pictures.

Chris Pratt: Yeah, you’re a great photographer.

I enjoy photography, but I definitely wouldn’t attempt any plumbing repairs. That’s just not my skill set.

Chris Pratt: You know what? I do a little handyman work around the house. I will do that.

ScreenRant: Little Ron Swanson in you.

Benny Safdie: I like doing some woodwork. I put in a door frame.

Chris Pratt sometimes likes to play a little trick: he’ll unplug the TV wires while everyone’s out. Then, when his wife notices it’s not working, he pretends to be the hero who fixes it. He’ll offer to repair the ‘broken’ TV if she handles dinner, and then simply plug the wires back in while making drilling sounds for effect. His family then praises him for saving the day.

ScreenRant: Is this your first voice acting role?

Benny Safdie: It is.

ScreenRant asked what led to my decision to appear in Obi-Wan. They noted I’ve been taking on some unique roles lately and wanted to know what influenced my choice to be in the show.

I was immediately drawn to the project because I genuinely love the games, and my kids loved the first movie. When someone asked if I was interested, I said yes right away. The chance to create something my children would enjoy, and to play Bowser Jr. in such a fantastic world created by Nintendo and Illumination, was a perfect opportunity. Seeing the movie with them and witnessing their excitement has been incredibly rewarding – it doesn’t get much better than that. It’s just a really cool experience.

ScreenRant asked Benny if taking on the role of Bowser Jr. felt like a natural fit, considering his previous work is known for being particularly suspenseful and nerve-wracking.

There was a part of Adam Sandler’s energy that really resonated with me – it felt like it came from within my own personality. I especially connected with his ability to quickly change direction and go all-in on something. I genuinely admire him; he’s a great guy.

ScreenRant asked what sound, phrase, or cue a gamer would choose to represent their character on a character selection screen.

Benny Safdie: “Ay yi yi.” I say that a lot.

I often start my Instagram videos with a quick introduction – usually something like, “Chris Pratt here! Hey, what’s up?” It’s become a bit of a habit, so if you’re wondering what a typical thing I say is, that’s probably it.

Be sure to dive into some of our other Super Mario Galaxy Movie-related coverage with:

  • Charlie Day on the chances of a Luigi’s Mansion spinoff movie
  • Donald Glover on the story behind his Yoshi casting
  • Jack Black on his desire to star in a Yakuza adaptation
  • Chris Pratt on changing one of Mario’s iconic catchphrases
  • Day sharing his perfect pitch for Wario’s voice actor in a new Super Mario movie
  • Black teasing Bowser’s changes in Super Mario Galaxy Movie‘s story
  • Black and Glover pitching their idea for a Duck Hunt adaptation
  • Black and Glover on wanting to team up for music after The Super Mario Galaxy Movie

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2026-04-03 19:15