The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (2026) is a goofy delight and a fitting follow-up to The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023). Both movies are extended love letters to the gaming franchise that inspired them, as well as the larger world of Nintendo creations. The new film brings back Mario, Luigi, Peach, Toad, and Bowser, while also introducing new versions of Yoshi and Bowser Jr. to the central narrative.
Beyond them, the movie also finds some clever ways to reference other iconic corners of the larger Nintendo library. Some of these cameos just feel like clever Easter eggs meant to appease long-time fans. Others feel like direct teasers of where the series is going next, with the inclusion of Fox McCloud in a surprisingly prominent supporting role serving as a potential backdoor set-up for his own story. Here are all the notable Nintendo cameos that happen across The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.
Punch-Out!!
One of the slyest Nintendo deep-cuts in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is the quick inclusion of Little Mac and Doc from Punch-Out!!. The boxing game series was a cult classic on the NES and has gotten a handful of sequels in the years since, with a particularly memorable one released on the Nintendo Wii. The boxing game was also referenced in The Super Mario Bros. Movie when the pizzeria Mario and Luigi go to has pictures of notable boxers from that series.
However, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie briefly sees an off-screen Mac running in his distinctive pink sweatshirt and sweatpants, followed by Doc on his bike. This implies that the events depicted in the Punch-Out!! games themselves, which put players in the role of Little Mac as he fights his way to the top of the sport against a colorful cast of competitors, haven’t happened yet and could even occur in future films.
Donkey Kong
Played by Seth Rogen, Donkey Kong is a major supporting character in The Super Mario Bros. Movie. The comedy icon doesn’t have nearly as much of a role in the sequel, with the movie focusing on Yoshi, Rosalina, and Fox instead. However, there is a notable beat during Yoshi’s trip to New York City that reveals what Donkey Kong has been up to.
In the same montage where Yoshi passes Little Mac and Doc, Yoshi also sees Donkey Kong atop a construction site, causing some chaos. This is a reference to Donkey Kong, the arcade classic that also introduced Mario as Jumpman. This highlights that even within the world of the Mario movie, DK might be more of a solo character going forward, which is promising for anyone hoping to see The Studio (2025) star headline his own DK movie.
Wart (And Birdo)
Playing a memorable but minor role in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Wart and his minions serve as a threat to Peach and Toad about halfway through the film. Wart is one of the older Mario villains, appearing as the antagonist of Super Mario Bros. 2. That game, which was actually a reskinned version of a different game, introduced Wart as a villain more in the vein of Bowser from the first film.
Played by Luis Guzman in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, the cinematic version of Wart is recast as a cosmic crimelord. He also has some notable minions at his beck and call, including Birdo, a fan-favorite minion in Super Mario Bros. 2 who found larger popularity after she became a more consistent presence in tie-in games like Mario Kart. Given Wart’s history as a direct nemesis to Daisy and the way the post-credits scene introduces her to the cinematic universe, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Wart return.
Honey Queen
The Honey Queen is one of the minor problems that Mario and Luigi encounter on their adventure in the new film. Played by Insecure (2016) creator Issa Rae, the Honey Queen is a quicker antagonist in the film than she is in the original games. The Honey Queen appeared in Super Mario Galaxy, the game that serves as the most direct inspiration for the new film. In both versions, she’s the ruler of a bee kingdom, although the film makes her far more regal and frustrated with Mario, Luigi, and Yoshi when they encounter her.
Unlike most of the cameos, which felt like clever Easter eggs or teases for where the franchise could go moving forward, the Honey Queen’s brief appearance serves a narrative purpose, making her potential reappearance less likely.
ROB
One of the funniest cameos from an older Nintendo title in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is ROB, which is actually a very important part of Nintendo history. The Robotic Operating Buddy was a toy released in 1985 and helped play a major role in the launch of the NES in Western nations like the United States. ROB hasn’t received a formal game in some time, but has appeared as a frequent cameo across various Nintendo titles—and was made a playable character in the Super Smash Bros. fighting series.
The character, played by Ed Skudder (one of the creative leads of the first film), appears in a memorable gag in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie as the robotic guide at the space port. It’s a clever way to slip the character in for a brief appearance.
Pikmin
One of Nintendo’s more recent franchises, Pikmin is an adorable strategy game that sees players venture through overgrown areas in hopes of helping the astronaut Olimar get back home. The rocket ship seen in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie contains many of the tiny Pikmin, highlighting just how small they are (and correctly recreating their scale from the video games).
Pikmin wouldn’t be a surprising addition to Nintendo’s larger cinematic ambitions, especially if Illumination wanted to more fully replicate the success of Minions (2015) with the voiceless but colorful goofballs. As it stands, they work really well as a brief cameo, especially because their use of a rocket suggests that the events of the original game have already happened at some point in that universe. This also lays the groundwork for Olimar to appear in future Mario movies, as it seems confirmed that he at least exists in the same universe.
Star Fox
The biggest Nintendo cameo in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is Fox McCloud from Star Fox. Played by Top Gun: Maverick (2022) and The Running Man (2025) star Glen Powell, Fox is the ace pilot and team leader for the Star Fox unit in the exciting sci-fi series of the same name. In the film, he’s been trapped in Mario’s universe as a result of a wormhole.
Fox actually gets to play off Mario, Peach, and Toad in some fun ways, setting up the kind of dynamic that a crossover film could further expand on. Fox very much has a Han Solo vibe in the film, with his apparent return home setting the stage for an adaptation of Fox’s adventures or laying the seeds for a larger Super Smash Bros. multiverse, thanks to his new interdimensional warp drive.
Mr. Game & Watch
A deep cut to the earliest days of Nintendo, the inclusion of Mr. Game & Watch is one of the most surprising and silly cameos in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. The early handheld character was the focus of some of Nintendo’s earliest attempts at making games. Even predating classic icons of the gaming space like Pac-Man, Mr. Game & Watch was a quietly crucial stepping stone toward the game developer we have today.
Mr. Game & Watch shows up toward the end of the film, a creation of Luigi using Bowser Jr.’s brush. The character actually helps fight Bowser briefly, using some of the moves he’s also shown off in Super Smash Bros. games. However, he doesn’t last long in the full fight before getting taken down.
Daisy
Only appearing in the post-credits scene of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Daisy is one of the more exciting additions to the cinematic universe. Peach’s frequent partner in sports games and typically seen as Luigi’s love interest, Daisy has gained a steady fanbase over the years that relates to her seemingly more enthusiastic and silly personality, especially in contrast to the more regal vibes that Peach gives off.
While Daisy doesn’t talk in the post-credits scene, her place in the cosmic space suggests she still has her connection to Wart from the games. Any other entries in the series would likely bring her in, making this cameo similar in function to the way Shadow was teased at the conclusion of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022).
