After the massive box office success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Nintendo announced that the sequel is arriving in theatres on April 3, 2026. Although there are no new details about its supposed plot, there is intel that we may be seeing some niche characters in the upcoming film.
In an interview with Keegan-Michael Key, the voice of Toad, he said, “We’re going to meet some new folks that are old favorites and some folks that I think are really deep cuts, but because of the way the story’s laying itself out right now, those characters are going to be very intriguing.”
What characters could he be referring to? Well, “Old favorites” and “deep cuts” definitely cover a lot of Mario characters, but here are five we are hoping to see in the upcoming film!
Lakitu
Lakitu is a personal favorite of ours, but only through years of being one of our mortal enemies while playing both the main games and Mario Kart. Lakitu is a type of Koopa Troopa with glasses and no beak. He flies around in a cloud that has a smiley face on it. Mario usually encounters Lakitu while he throws spiked eggs that hatch into tiny four-legged Koopa.
Lakitu has been a popular enemy in the Super Mario Bros. games, but you may also remember him from the Mario Kart series, where he is the referee who starts off the game and eventually becomes a playable character option in later iterations of the franchise. Lakitu’s omission in the first film was surprising, considering his status as an OG Mario enemy.
Rosalina
Princess Rosalina is definitely a more recent figure compared to the rest on this list, but she has gained a strong fanbase since her debut in Super Mario Galaxy. Rosalina lives in space with her adopted children, the Lumas. In Super Mario Galaxy, Rosalina is a mysterious and powerful figure who uses the Comet Observatory to travel throughout the universe.
Mario also uses the Comet Observatory to go to different planets in Super Mario Galaxy, which could make an interesting plotline for the next film. Funny enough, Lumalee in The Super Mario Bros. Movie is a Luma captured by Bowser, with Rosalina nowhere to be seen. May the stars shine down on us to have her grace the screen in 2026.
Monty Mole
Monty Moles are so annoying but so cute. As the name suggests, they are moles that live underground, popping onto the surface and suddenly becoming an obstacle for anyone they head towards. Monty Moles has had a lot of different roles throughout the Mario franchise, appearing in the main games and spin-offs.
Most memorably in Mario Party, where you need to knock them on the head, similar to Whac-A-Mole. Famously, Monty Moles appear in the Mario Kart series as well, where they spring out from the ground and knock karts off-course in maps like Moo Moo Meadows, Peach Gardens, and Animal Crossing.
Dr. Mario
This may not seem entirely plausible, but there is some precedent behind it. Dr. Mario is a persona of Mario’s that could either manifest as a different personality of the main protagonist or an entirely different character. In fact, in the Super Mario Manga, Dr. Mario is actually separate from Mario.
Dr. Mario has his own Mario franchise where he lines up Megavitamins to defeat viruses. He could possibly appear on a different planet or universe. Maybe it could even be a 2D Tetris-like animation style. Dr. Mario is also a separate character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, giving way to the possibility that he and Mario could fight side-by-side in the next film.
Excitebiker
This one is really a deeper cut and it may seem farfetched, but here us out. Key never said his statement was exclusive to Mario characters. Also, he says The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2 is “a little broader in scope.” So, a classic Nintendo NES character like the Exciterbiker could make a cameo in the upcoming film.
Of course, many other classic NES characters could fit right in, including the Ice Climbers from their self-titled game and Little Mac from Punch-Out!! However, the rider from Excitebike came to mind because, in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, there is a map based on the original game called Excitebike Arena. There are other properties that fit this bill, including F-Zero, but with no visible characters. The Excitebiker seems like a good fit since its an older Nintendo property with a lot of space for experimentation since that standalone character doesn’t have much of a personality on their own.
There are a whole host of other characters, enemies, and bosses I hope to see, I mean don’t even get me started on the Koopalings! However, I am more intrigued to FINALLY see fan-favorite Yoshi, based on the end credit scene of last film. To find out who will be in the next film we will all have to tune into its release. Or I can tune in and then let you all know if any of these were right.