On the official NBC Universal website, a report was published highlighting the lineup of titles shown off at the recent NBCUniversal’s 2025-2026 Upfront showcase event, and mentioned among several upcoming movies is Super Mario World. In case you were wondering, no, that isn’t a title that has been officially confirmed for the animated film so far.

“An exciting range of films from Universal Pictures, Focus Features, DreamWorks Animation and Illumination were presented, including Megan 2.0, Nobody 2, Bad Guys 2, How to Train Your Dragon, Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, Black Phone 2, HIM, The Phoenician Scheme, Super Mario World, Shrek, and Minions,” the website reads.

In October last year, actor Keegan-Michael Key, the voice of Toad in the Mario movies, said of the sequel that it will be “a little broader in scope” and that it will “widen out the universe.” A title such as Super Mario World would certainly fit with that kind kind of scope, while it would, of course, also be a great way to exploit the nostalgia of fans of the beloved SNES 2D platforming classic of the same name.

For now, we’re going to have to wait for official word on what the next Mario movie will be called and what it’ll bring to the table, but hopefully the wait won’t be too long. Stay tuned for more updates.

Speaking in a recent interview with Men’s Journey, Key revealed that The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2 is going to be “a little broader” in scope than its predecessor, and that it features a “very intriguing setting”. Meanwhile, fans can also expect plenty more easter eggs, just like the first movie.

“One thing I can say about the second movie is that it’s a little broader in scope, and where it takes place is very intriguing lore and the Mario world,” he said. “They’re going to find some really fantastic Easter eggs and it’s been very exciting so far.”

Key went on to add that the movie will expand its cast with the introduction of several new characters, and though some will be fan-favourites, others will be more obscure pulls that not everyone may be familiar with.

“I feel like what they’ve done creatively is they’ve really widened out the universe that these characters live in and we’re going to meet some new folks,” he said. “We’re going to meet some new folks that are old favorites and some folks that I think are really deep cuts, but because of the way the story’s laying itself out right now, those characters are going to be very intriguing.”

The Super Mario Bros. Movie’s sequel is currently scheduled to release in April 2026.

Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto announced this during MAR10 Day 2024, with producer Chris Meledandri confirming the return of the first film’s directors, Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic. The team at Illumination Paris have been story-boarding scenes and developing sets for “new environments,” with animation “starting soon.” “Rest assured, we’ll be obsessing over every detail to get it just right.”

Further details have yet to be revealed, but per a tweet by Nintendo of America, the company is thinking of “broadening Mario’s world further” with a “bright and fun story.” Could this mean other Nintendo properties, like The Legend of Zelda (which is getting its own feature film co-financed by Sony Pictures)? Time will tell, so stay tuned.

The Mario series recently saw the launch of Super Mario Bros. Wonder last October, selling 11.96 million units. Other major releases this year include Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door and Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD for Nintendo Switch, with Princess Peach: Showtime! launching on March 22nd.

We'll let you know the details once we're ready to share more. This time too, the staff at Illumination and Nintendo are working together. We're thinking about broadening Mario's world further, and it'll have a bright and fun story. We hope you'll look forward to it! [2/2]

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) March 10, 2024