Nintendo has released a special farewell video message from Charles Martinet that touches on his time as Mario and what he will be doing next as a Mario Ambassador. The message found its way to social media today and contains nearly four minutes of words from Martinet and Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto about the future of the character. The longtime Mario voice actor seems to be his happy self as always and even fondly refers to Miyamoto as “papa” at one point.
As Martinet will be stepping down from playing Mario, many have wondered what his new role as Mario Ambassador encompasses. Today’s video clears that up ever so slightly, as Miyamoto says that the actor will “continue to travel around the world and meet fans, performing the familiar voices at events, signing autographs, and enjoying interacting” with those who come to see him. You can see Miyamoto and Martinet celebrate a new chapter for Mario in the special video message from Nintendo below.
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Here’s a special video message from Shigeru Miyamoto and Charles Martinet regarding the change of Mario’s voice actor, announced on 8/21. pic.twitter.com/4mOpD2Cx3a
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) September 7, 2023
Last month, Nintendo revealed that Martinet is stepping down as Mario, Luigi, and more classic gaming friends after playing the red-capped plumber for 30 years. His departure brings an end to decades of “yahoos” and “lets-a gos,” but as reiterated in the above video, Martinet’s relationship with Nintendo will continue for a long time to come. However, in his absence, many have been to question who will play these characters going forward. We already know that Mario and company will feature new voices in the upcoming Super Mario Bros. Wonder, though who exactly will take on those roles remains to be seen. Be sure to stay tuned for any updates on who will fill in when the next Mario title launches next month on Oct. 20.
