Nintendo's Miyamoto And Charles Martinet Address Mario Voice Change In New Video

After over 25 years of voicing Mario, Wario, and even Waluigi, Charles Martinet is stepping away as an actor for Nintendo to become a Mario ambassador. And finally, he and Shigeru Miyamoto have addressed the monumental change in a new video message that was promised by the company last month.

On Twitter/X, Miyamoto--the creator behind Mario--mentioned a funny and sweet anecdote about Martinet. "Whenever we'd meet, you would always call me 'Papa,'" the famous video game designer said. But that's not all, as Miyamoto stated that Martinet made sure to "place a priority on spreading joy, and I am sure that you will be a great Mario ambassador."

In August, Nintendo surprisingly announced that Mario would no longer be voiced by Martinet. He originally started back in 1996 with Super Mario 64 and has coined iconic phrases like "wahoo" and "let's-a go" for the red-hatted plumber. Once again, this new video reiterates that Martinet will travel the world to entertain Nintendo fans as a Mario ambassador.

Martinet appeared appreciative for his time as the voice of Mario. "For many years, it's been a privilege to be able to bring your amazingly wonderful characters to life," he said. However, he's also recently expressed that he's not entirely sure what a Mario ambassador does.

As for who will voice Mario in the upcoming Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Miyamoto didn't release any new details. Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser told IGN that fans will find out that information with the Switch exclusive's credits.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder will launch October 20.