Among all the characters we might have expected to see in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, very few would have predicted an appearance by Wart before his official reveal. The antagonist from Super Mario Bros. 2 may not receive much attention from Nintendo these days, but his inclusion showcased the film’s dedication to keeping fans intrigued, as you never know who might pop up on screen next.
Speaking about the movie, Shigeru Miyamoto offered insight into the reasoning behind Wart’s return and why he’s often overlooked by Nintendo.
“Within the Super Mario Bros. universe, there’s the ‘Land’ series,” Miyamoto stated. “And then there’s Super Mario Bros. 2, which is where Wart originates. These characters exist specifically within the world of Super Mario Bros. 2, and yet they are characters I genuinely liked a lot. There’s also Birdo, somewhat like Yoshi, but not quite Yoshi. I’m very fond of these characters. When Illumination proposed using some of them, I thought, ‘Oh, great. I would love to see them in other media.’ So, it was an excellent idea.”
Illumination CEO Chris Meledandri added, “I believe it was our screenwriter, Matt Fogel, who first came up with the idea of how to incorporate Wart into the film. But what’s truly amazing about the process of making these movies is that our teams are full of Nintendo fans. You have people bringing forward ideas that tie back to their favorite characters. The filmmaking process is always one where these ideas emerge, and then we have a fun discussion about questions like: Do they fit? How could they fit? Is Miyamoto-san okay with it? But we were really pleased with how Wart was ultimately brought to life in the movie.”
Does Wart’s cameo make or break The Super Mario Galaxy Movie? Not really, but it’s undeniably a delightful nod to those who remember him fondly (or perhaps not so fondly, given his villainous past).