Video Game Fans Demand Danny DeVito Voice A Classic Character
Fans of a video game classic were bummed that Danny DeVito wasn't cast in the upcoming feature-length, animated film adaptation.
This article is more than 2 years old
With the news that Super Mario Bros. is set to hit the big screen in an animated, feature-length film next year, fans immediately came out to weigh in on who they thought should be voicing the main roles. Many of those opinions were rendered moot rather quickly with the announcement of the cast coming at almost the same exact time. But that still didn’t stop some folks from saying that Danny DeVito should most definitely have been part of the mix. The famous and diminutive Italian actor has all the prerequisites in place for voicing Mario, but it won’t end up happening. That honor went to Chris Pratt which caused more than a little consternation among fans.
Would Danny DeVito have been the perfect casting for Mario in the Super Mario Bros. movie? Fans sure seem to think so. Based on his overall look resembling that of the main character, at least in his younger days, the visual overlap makes a lot of sense. He has a more gravelly voice than that of the hero I think, but putting on an over-the-top Italian accent in the part wouldn’t have been all that heavy of a lift, one wouldn’t think. Those were just some of the reasons fans took to Twitter to plead for the casting. Check out some of the responses.
For some of these tweets and responses, it was as much about the disappointment in casting Chris Pratt as the main character as it was about loving the idea of Danny DeVito. And one can see some of the points made by fans. Mario is 100% Italian and that’s always been a primary piece of the background. Chris Pratt is most definitely not Italian representing what some folks thought of as a discriminatory practice on the part of the studio. Charlie Day, who is of partial Italian descent was cast as Luigi. Folks didn’t seem to care as much about that as much. Maybe because of the background, but also because Pratt is a bigger star and more of a lightning rod of fan opinions.
Regardless, though fans wanted Danny DeVito in the part, it isn’t going to happen. At least not in this iteration. Others in the cast along with Chris Pratt and Charlie Day include Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, Jack Black as Bowser, Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong, Keegan-Michael Key as Toad, Kevin Michael Richardson as Kamek, Fred Armisen as Cranky Kong, and Sebastian Maniscalco as Spike. It’s an all-star cast. And maybe there is still room for Danny DeVito too. Check out this suggestion which would seem to make a lot of sense.
I suppose there is still room for some kind of deal too. Super Mario Bros. is being produced and made by Illumination, an animated studio with plenty of track record in movies like the Despicable Me franchise as well as Secret Life of Pets. And Danny DeVito has worked with them before when he voiced the titular character in The Lorax. And he has other voiceover credits including last year’s The One and Only Ivan and will be taking on the role of Satan in the upcoming Little Demon. Maybe there is a chance for something in Super Mario Bros. after all.
