After Illumination's success with The Super Mario Bros. Movie, an animated Nintendo Cinematic Universe that rivals the MCU is possible. Ever since 1981's Donkey Kong and 1985's Super Mario Bros., Nintendo's Mario franchise has been synonymous with the video game industry. It popularized the platformer, racing, and party genres, and it remains the highest-grossing video game franchise to this day. However, Mario had only received one attempt at a big-screen adaptation in 1993 with the infamous live-action Super Mario Bros. movie, which discouraged Nintendo from entering the film industry for another 30 years after its critical and commercial failure.
Patience has paid off, however, as 2023's The Super Mario Bros. Movie has broke multiple records, including "highest-grossing video game movie of all time". After a long streak of disappointing movie and TV adaptations of popular video game titles, films like Sonic the Hedgehog and The Super Mario Bros. Movie are displaying the true potential of video games beyond the consoles. And considering how expansive Nintendo's library has become throughout the years, it's possible for the company to dominate the film industry with the creation of a Nintendo Cinematic Universe that brings more iconic characters to life on the big screen.
Mario’s Success Justifies A Nintendo Cinematic Universe
Early movie adaptations of famous video games such as 1993's Super Mario Bros., 1994's Street Fighter, and 2005's Doom failed to fulfill fan expectations and capture general audiences, and more recent attempts like 2015's Assassin's Creed also missed the mark. But after moderate hits like 2019's Sonic the Hedgehog and 2021's Mortal Kombat, The Super Mario Bros. Movie exceeded expectations and took over both the box office and social media. If Nintendo and Illumination can maintain the same level of quality with other properties, they have a guaranteed gold mine in their hands.
Few cinematic franchises have gotten close to replicating the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, not only because of a lack of planning but also because of a lack of popular and relevant source material. Whereas Universal's Dark Universe and Warner Bros.' King Arthur shared universes couldn't attract general audiences with the promise of characters like Dracula and the Knights of the Round Table, Nintendo has dozens of popular video game characters that continue to star in highly successful video games both individually and in crossover titles.
More Nintendo Games Have Blockbuster Potential
Nintendo's Mario franchise is filled with beloved entries centered on different characters. Apart from Mario's adventures, Nintendo has also found success in video games such as Luigi's Mansion, Donkey Kong Country, Yoshi's Island, and WarioWare — all of which could provide inspiration for exciting big-screen Super Mario Bros. spinoffs. Likewise, non-Mario properties like The Legend of Zelda, Metroid, StarFox, Pikmin, and Kid Icarus are all diamonds in the rough due to their vast lore, unique visual styles, and the fact that they haven't been adapted to the big or the small screen yet.
Between its complex timeline and its elaborate setting, The Legend of Zelda has enough material to warrant a franchise of its own. The Wind Waker's family-friendly Toon Link could star in a movie quite similar in tone to The Super Mario Bros. Movie while Twilight Princess' gritty Link could take the franchise in an entirely different direction and a Breath of the Wild or Tears of the Kingdom adaptation can strike a balance between the two. And even without Mario or Link's brand name, other Nintendo characters like Samus and Kirby can also carry a movie on their own.
Nintendo Has The Perfect Template For A Cinematic Universe
Another advantage Nintendo has in its favor is the narrative independence of its video games. Similar to The Super Mario Bros. Movie's lack of story, many Nintendo titles are set in their own world, each with very few strict plotlines that require a specific sequence of events. This gives Nintendo movies plenty of freedom to develop their own stories without needing to put so much focus on narrative accuracy. Other movies could also take place in their own world and expand the Nintendo Cinematic Universe without the need to set up specific storylines or crossovers.
Nintendo's crossover title, Super Smash Bros., provides narrative freedom to its potential big-screen adaptation as well. In the Super Smash Bros. games, characters are simply taken from their home worlds and placed on the battlefield, and their actions have no repercussions in the plot of the following solo titles. A Nintendo Cinematic Universe could create a more closely connected narrative with higher stakes for every character, but it still doesn't have the baggage of several decades' worth of heavily interconnected storylines that other franchises like Marvel and DC have to deal with.
Casting A Nintendo Cinematic Universe Is Easy
One obstacle that every shared universe faces is the commitment of their stars, as multiple appearances require them to be constantly available and stay in action-star shape for several years. While voice roles also require a lot of talent and effort, it's easier to shoot a movie with an ensemble cast of voice actors. The Nintendo Cinematic Universe can cast the ideal actor for every character regardless of their physical resemblance and with little worry about their long-term availability. Matching The Super Mario Bros. Movie's impressive cast is attainable, and fan castings like Pedro Pascal as Wario in Super Mario Bros. 2 can be the rule and not the exception.
A Nintendo Cinematic Universe Can Reenergize Movie Franchises
Shared universes have been dominating Hollywood for a while, and Marvel Studios aims to keep the trend alive for at least another three years. A Nintendo Cinematic Universe could offer a similar product by establishing a similarly expansive franchise, but its animated format, lower barrier to entry for general audiences, and the entire video game industry to it make it a promising possibility. A string of successful video game movies like The Super Mario Bros. Movie could pave the way for more video game adaptations, and it could draw more attention to animation as an art.
Perhaps other video game franchises can also in on Nintendo's big-screen prosperity. The Super Mario Bros. Movie and its sequels or spinoffs may generate interest in more adaptations of family-friendly video games like Crash Bandicoot, Spyro, and Banjo-Kazooie. Although owned by different companies, these titles could the Nintendo Cinematic Universe in a new wave of franchise movies that make the most out of the computer-animated animation format. With good enough audience reception, the possibility of a collaboration between Universal, Paramount, and Sony in an all-star Super Smash Bros. crossover movie isn't entirely out of the question.
