The Nintendo cinematic universe continues to expand. Universal and Illumination have produced two animated Mario movies thus far. 2023’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie and, more recently, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. Both have been tremendously successful. That means more Nintendo movies. Now, we have word that the next entry in this budding universe is coming our way in 2028.
As reported by Kotaku, Universal has put an “untitled Illumination/Nintendo evil film” on its calendar for April 12, 2028. The untitled bit leaves room for speculation. The most obvious answer would be Super Mario 3. However, there was a three-year gap between the first two movies. It’s unlikely Universal and/or Nintendo would rush it. More than likely, this is going to be some sort of spin-off.
It had previously been reported that a Donkey Kong spin-off was in development. Details have been few and far between. Seth Rogen voiced the character in The Super Mario Bros. Movie. He, however, didn’t return in the sequel. Perhaps that’s because he’s getting a solo movie? It’s not unlike the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog spin-off movie Paramount has in the works. Introduce a character, then set them up for a solo adventure.
There’s also Fox McCloud, who made his debut in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. Glen Powell (The Running Man, Top Gun: Maverick) voiced the beloved hero. Without getting into major spoilers, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’s credits scenes set up a possible Star Fox movie. That would be another obvious place for the franchise to go. One doesn’t hire a star like Powell without bigger plans for the future.
Here is the synopsis for The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.
“The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is an animated film based on the world of Super Mario Bros., and follows The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which was released in 2023 and earned more than $1.3 billion worldwide.”
“When it comes to stars or planets, we had the idea of a grand, expansive world. [When] I’m creating games, [what’s] important is what the player is experiencing in these specific areas. What’s the distance between these areas? What are their experiences as they’re traversing the world?” Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto said in an interview with Rolling Stone. “That’s something I brought into the movie as well. It’s not the fact that it’s grand and expansive — that’s important, but it’s really the idea of expanding the world that’s important.”
The first Mario made more than $1.3 billion at the box office. Thus far, Galaxy has made $832 million worldwide and is the highest-grossing movie of 2026. It’s well on its way to becoming a $1 billion hit. Universal and Nintendo have every motivation to expand the scope of this partnership. The universe has been expanded and now, it seems like both companies are ready to build upon that.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is in theaters now.
What do you think? Would you like to see a Star Fox movie? Or would you prefer a Donkey Kong spin-off? Join in on the conversation over on Facebook or Twitter!
