Illumination has released a new poster for The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, and it’s clear they looked at the first film’s $1.3 billion box office and decided the only logical response was to add dinosaurs and send everyone to space. The poster features Mario, Luigi, and the gang in cosmic gear, looking appropriately confused about their sudden career change from plumbers to astronauts.
This sequel to The Super Mario Bros. Movie abandons the Mushroom Kingdom for the cosmos, adapting the 2007 Wii classic that many consider the high point of 3D Mario games. The story follows Mario and Luigi as they join Princess Peach and Toad on an adventure into outer space, where they meet Princess Rosalina—voiced by Brie Larson, because apparently being Captain Marvel wasn’t enough cosmic responsibility for one career.
Joining the cast is Benny Safdie as Bowser Jr., the Koopa King’s son who brings his own brand of trouble to the galaxy. Donald Glover voices Yoshi, which means we finally get to hear the world’s most famous dinosaur speak in the dulcet tones of Childish Gambino. Issa Rae and Luis Guzmán round out the newcomers as Honey Queen and Wart respectively, because when you’re casting a space opera about Italian plumbers, you get the best talent available and worry about logic later.
The poster emphasizes the “broader in scope” approach that Keegan-Michael Key teased last year. Where the first film stayed relatively grounded in its own logic—a raccoon suit that lets you fly is practically documentary realism compared to what’s coming—the sequel fully commits to the absurdity of Mario physics in zero gravity. Expect planet-hopping, gravity-shifting platforming, and at least one scene where Jack Black’s Bowser sings about his feelings regarding fatherhood.
Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic return to direct, with Matthew Fogel back on screenplay duties. Brian Tyler provides the score, presumably incorporating the iconic Gusty Garden Galaxy theme that will haunt parents’ dreams for months after release. The film hits theaters April 1, 2026—no fooling—which positions it as the year’s first massive family blockbuster.
What makes this poster particularly exciting is the promise of “surprises for fans of every Mario era.” While the Galaxy games provide the framework, Illumination has hinted at deep cuts from across the franchise’s history. Will we see references to Super Mario Sunshine? A nod to Mario RPG? A callback to the time Mario was a doctor, a kart racer, and a tennis pro? Probably not that last one, but the possibility exists.
The real question is whether the film can capture the melancholy wonder of the Galaxy games, that strange combination of childish whimsy and cosmic loneliness that made the original so memorable. The poster shows Mario looking determined but slightly worried, which suggests the filmmakers understand that space is big, scary, and full of things that want to stomp on you.
Chris Pratt returns as Mario, having apparently found the voice that disappointed no one in the first film. Anya Taylor-Joy reprises Peach, Charlie Day returns as Luigi, and Jack Black is back as Bowser, presumably because they couldn’t afford to lose him after “Peaches” became a Billboard hit. Kevin Michael Richardson rounds out the returning cast as Kamek, because someone has to explain the plot mechanics to the villain.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie represents Nintendo’s continued commitment to expanding their cinematic universe—slowly, carefully, and with Illumination’s particular brand of fluorescent colors and pop music needle drops. If the first film proved these characters could work on the big screen, the sequel aims to prove they can work in zero gravity.
Prepare for launch—see The Super Mario Galaxy Movie in theaters April 1, 2026, and experience the space adventure that has plumbers everywhere reaching for the stars.
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