While there’s still a long road ahead for the sequel’s production,The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2may not see the return of one of its original stars. The 2023 animated movie served as a new start to adapting the iconic Nintendo platformer, starring Chris Pratt and Charlie Day in the titular roles as they get transported to the Mushroom Kingdom and become wrapped up in saving it from Jack Black’s Bowser. Though garnering mixed reviews from critics,The Super Mario Bros. Movieset multiple box office records, with a sequel eventually being confirmed during 2024 Mario Day and set for an April 2026 release.
During a recent interview withScreenRantfor his upcomingBookieseason 2 return, Sebastian Maniscalco was asked about the possibility of reprising his role of Foreman Spike inThe Super Mario Bros. Movie 2. The comedian humorously recalled attempting to show his kids a toy of his character while visiting Universal Studios, ultimately finding noneand acknowledging this likely means he won’t be invited back for the sequel. See what Maniscalco shared below:
This is the story of my career. I’ll give you an example of this. So, we went to Universal Studios, and they had a Super Mario store with all the merchandise. I was with my kids, I go, “Guys, come on. I’m going to show you daddy’s character in a stuffed animal.” No Spike, no nothing. It stopped at me. It was every other character, and then me, I have no animal, no stuffy, no nothing. So, the fact that I didn’t have a stuffed animal is not giving me a lot of confidence that I’m coming back for the sequel. I haven’t heard anything, so your guess is as good as mine. [Chuckles]
What This Means For Super Mario Bros. Movie’s Sequel Cast
There’s Still A Chance Maniscalco Could Return
Though he may have some doubts now about coming back forThe Super Mario Bros. Movie 2’s cast, there is still a chance Maniscalco could appear in the sequel. Consideringthere’s still a little over a year until the follow-up is set for a release, there’s plenty of time for the studio to reach out to him and begin negotiations to reprise his turn as Foreman Spike. Additionally, since he was a smaller player in the first movie, they may not need him to perform voice work until later in the movie’s production cycle.
It’s also worth noting that, at the time of writing,no cast members have been confirmed forThe Super Mario Bros. Movie 2. Toad actor Keegan-Michael Key did tease this past October that the sequel would be broadening out the world of the movies to include more Easter eggs and lore from the Nintendo games, seemingly indicating he’s either in the know about the movie’s script, or has broad expectations of what’s to come in the follow-up.
10 Character Team-Ups We Want To See In Super Mario Bros. 2
The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2 can introduce all kinds of new characters, and here are 10 team-ups between these characters that needs to happen.
The one thing that may prove a bigger hurdle for Maniscalco’s potential return is howThe Super Mario Bros. Movie’s endingset up the sequel’s story. Having successfully defeated Bowser,both Mario and Luigi now live and work in the world of the Mushroom Kingdom, seemingly shedding their Brooklyn connections, which would include Foreman Spike. Then again, should they desire to create a way to stay in touch with their friends and family, Spike could still make another brief appearance.
Our Take On Maniscalco’s Potential Super Mario Bros. Movie 2 Return
It Would Do Well To Provide Some Deep-Cut Ties To The Games
While the original movie may have ended with Mario and Luigi being recognized as heroes by Brooklyn, including Spike and their family,The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2featuring Spike’s return, at the very least, could provide some moredeep-cut ties to the original Nintendo games. Mario and Luigi’s tenure in theWrecking Crewgames is an oft-forgotten one. Whether the sequel lures Maniscalco’s character to the villainous side proper, or features a sequence designed to look similar to one of the levels in the arcade game, there are a number of reasons that could make Maniscalco’s return meaningful.
Super Mario World
Cast
Announced during Nintendo’s 2024 MAR10 day celebration, The Super Mario Bros. Movie sequel is the follow-up to the 2023 animated adventure film starring Nintendo’s famous plumber mascot.
