The Super Smash Bros. Cinematic Universe is coming

Nintendo and Illumination will never stop with the first Super Mario movie. After becoming one of the biggest animated films of all time at the box office, the path has been paved for bringing in a rich catalog of assets to determine which films are best suited for the big screen.

No additional films have been confirmed beyond the live-action Legend of Zelda to be released next year, but it's easy to read between the lines and see that Nintendo has a broader cinematic vision that could see all kinds of characters and universes. With Fox McCloud confirmed to appear in the upcoming Super Mario Galaxy, it makes me think this is all going to be one huge crossover, so that's if they don't all end up being part of the same universe.

Why does Star Fox appear in the Super Mario Galaxy movie?

I knew when it was announced that the Super Mario Galaxy movie was going into space for more reasons than simply adapting the Wii masterpiece. Early trailers have already shown off environments and special effects from later games like Odyssey, and have made it abundantly clear that Nintendo and Illumination are using the popular name as a springboard to tap into a much wider range of potential characters.

By reaching beyond the stars, Nintendo has carte blanche to not only adapt all of its Galaxy titles, but also explore other franchises like Star Fox and Pikmin that make the most of the beloved interstellar setting. Pikmin have been briefly spotted in a few blink-and-you'll-miss-it reels on social media posts, and they were teasing us right before the glimpse of Fox's blaster was revealed in a recent trailer. Whether he's a cute cameo or a key ally for Mario and company, introducing Fox in this film marks a very important line being crossed.

Glen Powell (of Top Gn Maverick and Spy Kids 3D: Game Over fame) has been cast as Fox. One of the biggest challenges in bringing all of these Nintendo characters to life is finding the right voice for them.

Mario, Luigi, and Bowser from the Super Mario Galaxy Movie.

If he can appear in a Mario movie, that means many other Nintendo characters are off limits as well. It wouldn't be frowned upon if Kirby, Kid Icarus (who made a cameo in the original while Mario was playing the first game), or Captain Falcon showed up. Especially if the movie does the narrative work of showing that Mario is not alone in this wide universe, and that there are countless other unique heroes waiting for their turn in the sun. Nintendo announces Super Smash Bros. It seems like we're laying the foundation for the movie world.

After enduring decades of comic book movies and long-lasting fatigue following the release of Avengers: Endgame, I expected to roll my eyes at this idea, but I was pretty excited. After Ultimate failed to provide a satisfying story mode where the large roster interacted properly, it breaks my heart to see these characters finally go on an adventure together.

In the film's final act, we see Star Fox introduced and becoming a friend of Mario's as he offers to help take down Bowser. Who better to use the power of the universe to defeat villains than Fox and his crew of expert dogfighters? I can feel the smell of fan service all the way from here. Even if you don't expect the narrative to be scrutinized after how basic the first film was, there can be so many places it gets visually interesting. It needs to appeal to both young and old around the world with a tale of good versus evil that spans the ages, and it can't achieve this by delving into overly complex Nintendo lore.

The Super Smash Bros. Cinematic Universe Is So Absurd It Might Be Successful

Rosalina from the Super Mario Galaxy movie.

But my God, I would love to go in that direction. What I really want is Nintendo's animated movie to be Super Smash Bros. It's about getting to the point where we can offer something like Brawl's Spaceship Emissary. It's a story filled with beloved icons who team up in unexpected combinations to take on a larger-than-life threat. This game was also first released almost 20 years ago, so there's so much room for expansion if you really get down to the barrel of Nintendo's cinematic universe.

Start small with additions like Star Fox and Pikmin, allowing these characters to have their own stories told through individual arcs within Mario's outings. That would give bigger names like Kirby or Animal Crossing a chance to stand on their own.

Mario and Peach from the Super Mario Galaxy movie.

This could be a major part of Mario's story, or it could be a great bonus that both casual and hardcore fans will appreciate. We have no idea what final form this SSBCU will take. See, here's everything I've made up right now. But not only does it provide an opportunity to tell a new story, it also brings back and makes many dormant characters relevant in a new visual form.

Fox McCloud and many other characters like him are confined to very old games that today's young audiences are not interested in. So what better way to bring most of them back to life through a movie that millions of people will go see? Smart, and honestly, I'm just a huge nerd who would love to see that happen.