Nintendo has announced that after more than 25 years, Charles Martinet will no longer be the voice of Mario. In a statement posted on Twitter, Nintendo confirmed that Martinet will be stepping down to take on a new role as ‘Mario Ambassador’.
“Charles Martinet has been the original voice of Mario in Nintendo games for a long time, as far back as Super Mario 64.” The statement read. “Charles is now moving into the brand-new role of Mario Ambassador.
“With this transition, he will be stepping back from recording character voices for our games, but he’ll continue to travel the world sharing the joy of Mario and interacting with you all!”
The statement continued: “It has been an honour working with Charles to help bring Mario to life for so many years and we want to thank and celebrate him. Please keep an eye out for a special video message from Shigeru Miyamoto and Charles himself, which we will post at a future date.”
“My new adventure begins! You are all Numba One in my heart!” said Martinet in a tweet.
Fan speculation regarding Martinet’s involvement grew when many believed that soundbites from the upcoming Super Mario Bros. Wonder were not voiced by Martinet. We now know this to be true, as a Nintendo spokesperson told Axios’ Stephen Totilo that Martinet will not be voicing any characters in Super Mario Bros. Wonder. As for who the new voice of Mario will be, Nintendo has remained tight-lipped. “Character voice actors will be credited in the game credits, so please wait for the game to be released.” The spokesperson said.