Nintendo Is Already Setting Up Their Next Big Movie Franchise After Super Mario

Nintendo’s ambitions to turn their video game world into a major blockbuster film franchise are slowly becoming a reality. After the massive success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, the studio is following up with The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, which is in a good position to be another hit.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie was an undisputed success, raking in over $1 billion at the worldwide box office. It’s too early to say for sure that the sequel will be able to repeat that success, but for now, there’s good reason to hope it too will be a massive blockbuster.

And if that happens, there’s little doubt more films based on both Super Mario and other Nintendo franchises will follow. Given the abundance of characters present both in the big-screen Super Mario movies and Nintendo’s various video game series, there’s no shortage of material to explore.

With this sequel in particular, Universal and Nintendo are planting the seeds for a larger cinematic universe, with the new movie setting up many potential new spinoff films, one of which may be Star Fox.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie Sets Up Star Fox’s Future

The inclusion of Star Fox characters in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, mainly Fox McCloud, is a huge sign of things to come in this franchise. Fox is introduced not in a throwaway scene but in a sizable supporting role that places him alongside the main characters at the heart of the story.

Fox has plenty of purpose in the overall narrative of the story of the new film, and sufficient screen time to make him firmly a supporting player rather than just a simple cameo. He’s not just an Easter egg, but is an important piece of the film that helps tie everything together.

Fox McCloud first appeared in the video game Star Fox from the year 1993. This title went on to spawn a whole franchise of space games set on the Lylat System, with players controlling Fox and his ship, the Arwing. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie makes a note of focusing on these core aspects of the character during his introduction.

As a result, in the new movie, all of this is set up, thus paving the way for a future Star Fox spinoff story. Fox introduces himself in typical charismatic fashion, and then gives the characters (and the audience) a brief summary of his backstory. Fox explains that he is a guardian of his system, defeating enemies that threaten his galaxy before being transported into Mario’s world.

Now, he’s protecting this new galaxy, all while searching for a way to get back home. He also introduces his cast of sidekicks, Falco, Slippy, and Peppy. The trio is seen briefly in the montage before the film cuts back to Fox and his conversation with Princess Peach and the rest of the heroes.

All of this serves as evidence that Nintendo and Universal are setting up a future Star Fox movie. The studio clearly has huge ambition to grow the franchise, and a spin-off movie with Fox McCloud and his team of fighters may just be the first in the series.

The Popularity of Star Fox and Glen Powell Can Carry Over Into Film

Star Fox isn’t Nintendo’s biggest gaming franchise (that would go to Mario), but it’s still a hugely successful series of games that has developed a strong and growing fan base ever since its debut. Many gamers may also know Fox McCloud from his many appearances in the Super Smash Bros. games, too.

That Star Fox is well known is a huge positive sign for a potential spin-off film at some point in the near future. The characters, particularly Fox, are instantly recognizable, and pull on the nostalgia heartstrings of fans who grew up playing these games.

Importantly, Star Fox also fits the bill in terms of what studios look for in a modern blockbuster movie. At its heart, Star Fox is an action franchise, promising huge scale and story with light hearted dynamics between characters.

In this way, Star Fox acts as Nintendo’s answer to hit films like Star Wars or Top Gun. Both feature hotshot pilots and their crew going on adventures in the sky, traveling huge distances and fighting against dangerous enemies along the way.

It makes sense, then, that Glen Powell, who appeared in Top Gun: Maverick in 2022, was cast as Fox McCloud in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. Fox is a cocky yet charming pilot just like Powell’s character in Top Gun, which helped propel his career to new heights.

Powell has gone on to become a household name in the years since, which makes a Star Fox movie an even bigger possibility. Universal chose the cast of Mario very carefully, choosing marketable stars that could attract audiences to movie theaters.

The choice of Powell appears to have been made with a similar kind of seriousness. It’s a casting that shows real intent, and one that signals a future for the character beyond the new film. Powell’s strengths as an actor can also help launch a Star Fox franchise, too.

He brings charisma, confidence, and credibility as an action hero. All of Powell’s traits are integral to any franchise, especially one that would need to stand firmly on its own, without relying on the Mario audience.

Universal’s Nintendo Cinematic Universe Is Set Up Nicely

Universal and Nintendo appear to be taking a more disciplined approach to crafting their cinematic universes than many studios have before. Many have made the mistake of announcing too many titles all at once, appearing overconfident rather than taking it one film at a time.

Nintendo, however, are avoiding those mistakes. Rather than immediately expanding after the success of the first Mario movie, which made over $1 billion at the worldwide box office, the studio doubled down with a direct sequel to the film, as opposed to beginning work on spinoffs.

Most would have understood if they did go down that route, but they have shown a refreshing amount of restraint in their approach. This is benefiting them greatly, allowing them the space to establish the franchise before moving on to new characters.

However, Nintendo are still laying the groundwork for new films, and not just involving Fox. There are other characters, such as Donkey Kong, Luigi, and Yoshi that have all been teased as potential recipients of spinoff films at some point after The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. Given the success of the two Mario films thus far, it seems only a matter of time before these plans start to kick into high gear.

Release Date

April 1, 2026

Runtime

98 Minutes

Director

Aaron Horvath, Michael Jelenic, Pierre Leduc, Fabien Polack

Writers

Matthew Fogel

Producers

Chris Meledandri, Shigeru Miyamoto