A major development for Mario is on the way, as the voice actor for the iconic plumber is retiring from his role. Since the early ’90s, Charles Martinet has been the voice of Mario in Nintendo Video Games, and this marks a significant change for the character and the company overall.
Don’t panic though, as this isn’t the end for Mario – Nintendo frames this as a transition, much like how Shigeru Miyamoto shifted away from game development. Miyamoto, Mario’s other creator, has been taking on fewer hands-on roles in recent years.
“Mario’s voice is synonymous with Mr. Martinet, and Mr. Martinet’s voice is synonymous with Mario,” Nintendo’s statement on Martinet’s retirement reads. “This new role, as Mario’s Ambassador, is a perfect fit for Mr. Martinet’s unique personality and passion for Mario. He will continue to travel the world and interact with fans, who will continue to enjoy his live interactions, videos, and social media posts.”
While this is a big change, and I’m sure many fans will worry that it means Mario won’t sound quite right, I don’t think it’s likely that Nintendo is pushing Martinet out. Just look at how the company is handling the casting of the new Mario for the upcoming Mario Kart Tour game – if they were unhappy with Martinet, surely they’d look for a new voice?
On the other hand, it’s not like Martinet is retiring because he’s too old – rather, he’s transitioning from a voice acting role to a brand ambassador role, so it’s hard to read too much into this development.
Regardless, it’s always important to see gaming figures grow old and retire on their own terms, and so this news is at least partly worth celebrating.
