Charles Martinet, the actor known for his iconic work as the voice of Mario (as well as a number of other characters in the Nintendo franchise) has said that he would like to continue in the role until he dies.
Martinet, who has been voicing Nintendo's beloved character since 1992, recently answered questions about his time as Nintendo's renowned mascot as part of a Q&A session at FAN EXPO Canada: Limited Edition.
As reported by The Game Creator, when asked by a fan how long he could see himself continuing as Mario, Martinet told the audience, "I want to voice Mario until I drop dead," though he quickly followed this up with a further caveat, adding, ‘‘If someday I think I am no longer capable of doing it, I will tell Nintendo to look into finding someone else.’’
Examples of Martinet's work can be seen far and wide across the popular video game franchise where his voice work has also brought to life the characters Luigi, Wario, and Waluigi. When asked whether or not someone would be able to fill that void once he'd left, Martinet said, ‘‘I am very touched by that. But I hope there will still be Mario after I am gone. Anyways, there are over 5 million audio files of me voicing Mario. I go into the studio and record 45 takes of every sound I can think of, so I’m not going anywhere for a long time!’’
Despite having been synonymous with the role of Mario for so long, Martinet is not set to play the character in the franchise's upcoming Super Mario movie, where Guardians of the Galaxy and Jurassic World star Chris Pratt will voice its lead. Martinet is set to appear in the film, however, his role will take shape in a number of featured cameos in the movie.
Following the film's casting announcement during September's Nintendo Direct, it's fair to say that initial reactions to Pratt stepping into the role of the legendary character have been mixed, and fans took to social media to post their own reactions to the news. To keep up with the latest from Nintendo and Illumination's upcoming Super Mario Movie, make sure to check out our dedicated IGN page for the film.
Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.