Mario Galaxy Movie Brings Back Wart After 38 Years

Nintendo announced a new Super Mario Galaxy Movie Direct on March 9 at 2pm PT, and the headline is supposed to be the final trailer before the film hits theatres on April 1. But the artwork Nintendo released alongside that announcement is the more interesting story. Tucked into the bottom of the new poster, alongside Mouser and the Ninjis, is Wart. An actual, honest-to-goodness Wart sighting in official Nintendo media, for the first time since 1988.

For anyone who didn't grow up dying repeatedly in Super Mario Bros. 2, Wart is the game's main antagonist. A frog-like creature who rules over Subcon, he was the final boss of a game that itself had a strange history, being a reskin of the Japanese title Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic. Nintendo folded him into the Mario canon, and then essentially forgot he existed. He's had no meaningful role in any mainline Mario release in the nearly four decades since. That's a longer absence than some of the people who'll be watching this movie have been alive.

The new artwork also confirms Mouser and the black-clad Ninjis, both also originating from Super Mario Bros. 2. Birdo was already confirmed in a January trailer, so Nintendo is clearly leaning hard into that game's roster for the sequel. Whether that's because the screenplay has a specific reason for it or because someone at Illumination just has good taste is the question the March 9 Direct might actually answer.

You can watch the Direct on YouTube for America, Europe, or Japan. Nintendo has been clear that no game information will be included, so don't go in expecting Switch 2 announcements. This is strictly a movie showcase, and the fifth Nintendo Direct of 2026 overall, following two movie Directs, a Tomodachi Life showcase, a Partner Showcase, and an Indie World Showcase.

The Cast Is Already Stacked

Beyond the villain reveals, the confirmed cast for The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is doing a lot of heavy lifting. Brie Larson voices Rosalina, Benny Safdie voices Bowser Jr., and the full original cast returns: Chris Pratt as Mario, Anya Taylor-Joy as Peach, Charlie Day as Luigi, Jack Black as Bowser, Keegan-Michael Key as Toad, and Kevin Michael Richardson as Kamek. Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic are back directing, with Matthew Fogel returning as screenwriter.

Fans have been speculating since the early trailers that the film involves time travel, which would at least explain why Baby Mario and Baby Luigi appeared in the January trailer. A Super Mario Bros. 2 villain resurgence fits neatly into that theory. Wart ruling over a dream world in the original game, combined with a time-travel plot, is the kind of lore thread that would make the r/Mario crowd lose their minds for a week.

The film opens April 1. Nintendo has confirmed it will release in many markets on that date, with select territories rolling out through the rest of April. If the March 9 Direct is the final trailer before release, Wart's role in all of this is about to become a lot clearer. Thirty-eight years is a long time to wait for a frog to get his moment back.