Iconic Voice Actor Charles Martinet Retires After Nearly 30 Years
The iconic voice of Mario, Charles Martinet, is retiring after almost 30 years bringing the plumber to life. Many users express their respect and admiration for Martinet bringing Mario to life, while others note that he is also known for voicing Paarthurnax in Skyrim. There is also a lot of speculation about who will take his place, with many expressing their hope that Chris Pratt is not chosen.
“Mario, I cannot do this anymore,” Martinet says in a video announcing his retirement. “It has been an honour and a privilege to bring life to this wonderful character. My brother, Luigi, has gotten the opportunity to grow and evolve. But poor Mario is always the same. Always asking ‘Let’s-a go!’ Always saying ‘Mamma mia!’ Always jumping. Always flying. Always, always, always. I cannot do this anymore.”
“I hope the next Mario gets to have a personality,” one user responds. “I’m just not ready to see Chris Pratt take over that role.”
“There’s nothing difficult about Mario’s voice,” another user says. “Any impersonator with a consistent high voice can do it. Nintendo could use AI to train it based on his recordings. They’ve got a history of recycling voice clips, but recent games have already introduced a new voice actor for Mario.”
There are a few comments about Martinet’s retirement coinciding with the upcoming Mario movie, with some suggesting that he was perhaps replaced for it. “If they replaced Mario’s voice actor for the movie, they probably replaced him for the games as well,” one user says. “Mario doesn’t speak, he just makes noises,” another adds, referencing the ongoing debate on whether Mario actually speaks in the games.
“Mario speaks,” another says. “He just says the same thing over and over again.” “Mario doesn’t speak, he just has a lot of catchphrases,” another replies, “like ‘So long, gay Bowser,’ or ‘It’s-a me, Mario!’”
There are also a lot of comments about Martinet himself, expressing fondness for him and his portrayal of Mario, considering him the definitive voice of the character. One user asks for advice on how to get into Voice Acting.
In any case, it is certainly a transition worth noting, with many Nintendo fans paying attention to the new Mario games for the first time in years. I myself am very excited about the upcoming Mario Wonder, and I can’t wait to play it.
