Hollywood star Glen Powell has officially confirmed that he will voice Fox McCloud in the upcoming Super Mario Galaxy Movie, marking a surprising crossover between two of Nintendo’s most iconic franchises. The actor, celebrated for his roles in Top Gun: Maverick, Twisters, and The Running Man, shared the news through a playful Instagram video in which he leaps through a movie theatre before proudly showing off Fox McCloud’s signature silver jacket. “Born to Barrel Roll,” Powell declared, referencing one of Star Fox’s most famous moves, as reported by IGN.
The appearance of Fox McCloud in a Mario film is an unexpected development that has sparked conversation among Nintendo fans. Star Fox has never been part of the traditional Mushroom Kingdom lineup, with the character’s only prior interaction with Mario coming through the Super Smash Bros. fighting game series. Newly released official artwork shows Fox standing beside his Arwing starship alongside franchise mainstays Luigi, Peach, and Bowser, confirming his role in the adventure as detailed by Eurogamer.
The crossover is particularly noteworthy given that Nintendo’s legendary game designer Shigeru Miyamoto has previously spoken about an unwritten company rule against mixing characters from different franchises. In a past interview with IGN, Miyamoto explained that Mario should remain in the Mario universe and Splatoon in its own world, with Pikmin being the sole exception allowed to mingle with other Nintendo properties. It now appears that Star Fox has earned a similar exemption for the silver screen.
Powell’s casting adds yet another high-profile name to an already star-studded voice roster. He joins newcomers Brie Larson as Rosalina, Donald Glover as Yoshi, and Benny Safdie as Bowser Jr., while the original film’s cast returns intact with Chris Pratt as Mario, Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, Charlie Day as Luigi, Jack Black as Bowser, Keegan-Michael Key as Toad, and Kevin Michael Richardson as Kamek.
Meanwhile, the film’s secrets continue to unravel ahead of its premiere. During a recent appearance on Jimmy Fallon’s talk show, Pratt and Day participated in a fan theory game that strongly hinted at Wario’s inclusion in the sequel. When asked whether Wario and Waluigi would appear, the pair hesitated before pressing both the “true” and “false” buttons simultaneously — a move widely interpreted as confirmation that at least one of the villainous duo will show up, as Eurogamer reported. This lines up with a previous leak from a UK cinema chain that inadvertently mentioned Wario in its plot description.
With retro villain Wart, Birdo, and the shadowy Ninjis also confirmed to appear, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is shaping up to be a massive celebration of Nintendo’s roster that extends well beyond the Mushroom Kingdom’s usual borders. Fans won’t have to wait much longer to see it all come together, as the film hits theatres on April 1.