WARNING! This article contains SPOILERS for The Super Mario Bros. MovieLuigi has a somewhat secondary role in The Super Mario Bros. Movie, but this serves a purpose. In The Super Mario Bros. Movie, the world's most famous and beloved plumbing duo Mario (Chris Pratt) and Luigi (Charlie Day) find themselves pulled into the Mushroom Kingdom, right as Bowser (Jack Black) is plotting to conquer the land. This leads Mario to forces with Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) in order to stop Bowser and his Koopa army.
Compared the usual roles played by Super Mario Bros. cast of characters, Luigi is more on the sidelines in The Super Mario Bros. Movie after being captured and imprisoned by Bowser. With Mario spending much of The Super Mario Bros Movie trying to rescue his brother, Luigi's role in the movie nonetheless serves the story, and not just for him. It also gives Princess Peach a chance to step onto the front lines.
The Super Mario Bros Movie Replaces Peach With Luigi
In the Super Mario Bros. video games and most adaptations, Mario and Luigi frequently find themselves tasked with rescuing Princess Peach. The Super Mario. Bros Movie essentially swaps Luigi and Peach's roles in that dynamic with Luigi being kidnapped and Peach being Mario's closest ally. While this does essentially relegate to Luigi to being a hostage for most of the movie, it also lets Princess Peach thrive in a whole new story for her.
The fact that Princess Peach is so frequently kidnapped in the Super Mario Bros. games has made her into a rather stereotypical damsel-in-distress without much else to do. In partnering her up with Mario to put a stop to Bowser, The Super Mario Bros Movie lets Peach act as a direct participant in the movie's adventurous story and enables her to embody a genuine heroine like she almost never has gotten to before. Meanwhile, Luigi also s in on the action when the time comes.
Super Mario Bros Movie Still Gives Luigi A Powerful Hero Moment
The ending of The Super Mario Bros. Movie sees Luigi freed from captivity and ing Mario, Peach, and their allies in the final battle with Bowser. When Mario finds himself directly in the path of Bowser's fire, Luigi leaps to the rescue just in the nick of time, deflecting Bowser's flames with a sewer hole cover. This is Luigi's big heroic moment in The Super Mario Bros. Movie, and the fact that it comes so late in the game plays into their relationship in the film.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie establishes that Mario has frequently been the one to come to Luigi's rescue in tough situations through their lives as brothers and as budding plumbers. Luigi's big hero moment shows him returning the favor to his older brother, cementing how important they are to each other. Despite being kidnapped for the majority of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Luigi still snags a true hero moment, while Princess Peach finally gets her long overdue share of hero moments (and hopefully will have more in The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2).
