The Super Mario Bros Movie’s smashing box office weekend, raking in $375.6 million globally has Jack Black, who voiced the animated film’s antagonist Bowser, considering ideas for a sequel.
The actor and comedian is keen to see Pedro Pascal, star of HBO’s The Last of Us and Disney’s The Mandalorian, take on the role of Mario’s new foe.
Recently, Pascal’s name and image were widely circulated as a perfect choice for a live-action Mario movie, reminiscent of the 1993 film Super Mario Bros featuring the late Bob Hoskins.
In a GameSpot interview, Black proposed, “Are you thinking what I’m thinking? Wario. Pedro Pascal is Wario.”
Wario, an iconic character in Nintendo’s Mario series, serves as Mario’s arch-rival. He debuted as the primary antagonist and final boss in the 1992 Game Boy title Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins. The character bears a striking resemblance to Mario, including a prominent mustache.
When questioned about reprising his role as Bowser, Black clarified that it isn’t guaranteed: “You know, I did a few Kung Fu Panda movies, and it was a different villain every movie. So they may do the same thing.” Nevertheless, he expressed interest in returning as Bowser, potentially joining forces with Mario (Chris Pratt’s voice) to battle Pascal’s Wario and a greater evil force.