Super Mario Bros. Movie Bringing In The Best Donkey Kong Character
Nintendo has released a brand new trailer for The Super Mario Bros Movie, with the new clip offering more insight into the story. Fans get to hear more of Chris Pratt as Mario, with Anya Taylor-Joy and Seth Rogan making appearances as Princess Peach and Donkey Kong. There are also several callbacks and Easter Eggs featuring characters from Super Mario Bros spinoff franchises, including Funky Kong.
The character is seen briefly in the trailer, which is a little unexpected since the movie is an origin story. The Super Mario Bros Funky Kong character debuted in the original Donkey Kong Country videogame on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Released in 1994, he appeared as a non-playable character that helped players travel to any world they previously visited. In Donkey Kong Country 3, Funky Kong ran a boat rental service that players used to advance in the game.
And in Donkey Kong 64, he ran an armory shop from which Kongs purchased weapons and upgrades. Since then, the character has been a consistent, albeit less visible, presence in various games. Though he may not usually be a part of the Super Mario Bros adventures, Funky Kong is an ally of the plumbers’ original rival. Following the trailer’s release, fans were excited to see the character included in the film and took to social media to share their thoughts.
After years of assisting the Super Mario Bros villain, Funky Kong became a playable character in 2014’s Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze for the Nintendo Switch. Players could access the character in “Funky Mode,” an easier difficulty level where the gorilla could get employee discounts at his shop. Beyond those titles, he also appeared in other spinoff games, further explaining why his arrival in the movie is such a big deal.
Although Super Mario Bros fans are excited to see how Funky Kong fits into the story, the size of his role remains questionable. The character hasn’t been mentioned in any other promotional material, which means he could simply be making a cameo appearance. But since Nintendo and Illumination may have a solo Donkey Kong movie in the works, it could be a cool lead-in for the entire Donkey Kong family to branch out into their own stories, CBR reports.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie, featuring Funky Kong, is directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic, from a screenplay by Matthew Fogel. The story follows Mario and Luigi, as they venture into the Mushroom Kingdom to train before facing the villainous Bowser. Along the way, the pair also gets caught up in several side adventures. One of the most prominent was a scene modeled after the Mario Kart series that sees the mustachioed plumber leading the pack in his iconic cart.
The film showcases an impressive ensemble cast led by Chris Pratt as Mario and Charlie Day as Luigi. Anya Taylor-Joy stars Princess Peach, alongside Jack Black as Bowser, Keegan-Michael Key as Toad, Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong, Fred Armisen as Cranky Kong, and Sebastian Maniscalco as Foreman Spike. Charles Martinet, Kevin Michael Richardson, Khary Payton, and Eric Bauza also star. The Super Mario Bros Movie, which features Funky Kong in an undisclosed capacity, is set for release on April 7, 2023.
