Goodbye Charles Martinet: The End of an Era

Earlier this year, Nintendo announced that Charles Martinet, the iconic voice of Mario, would no longer be providing the voice for the beloved character. However, Martinet would continue to be involved with Nintendo as a Mario ambassador. At the time of the announcement, Martinet himself admitted that he wasn’t exactly sure what this new role would entail.

Now, with Nintendo Live 2024 just around the corner, Nintendo has shared details of the event’s lineup, and it includes a special segment titled “Mario Dojo.” The official website has revealed that Charles Martinet will be making a guest appearance at this Mario-themed event.

According to the website, the “Success! Mario Dojo” segment will allow attendees to try out various Mario games. There will also be a “Special Stage” where audience members will have the opportunity to go on stage and play a Mario game. As part of this segment, Charles Martinet, who has voiced Mario and other characters for many years, will be appearing as a special guest.

In recent Super Mario games, Kevin Afghani has taken on the role of voicing Mario, Luigi, and Wario. Afghani has lent his voice to characters in games such as Super Mario Bros. Wonder and WarioWare: Move It! for the Nintendo Switch.

While Martinet has officially stepped down from the role, fans can still look forward to hearing his voice in the upcoming Switch release of Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD, set to launch next year.

Aside from Martinet’s appearance at Nintendo Live 2024, Nintendo will also be hosting orchestral concerts for The Legend of Zelda and Splatoon series.

Are you excited to see Charles Martinet continue to be involved with Mario? What are your thoughts on the new voice for Mario? Share your opinions with us in the comments!

[source nintendo.com, via gonintendo.com]