“The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” movie is blasting off in theaters now.
And with a projected blockbuster opening weekend, this is far from the last time we will see the animated adventures of your favorite plumber Mario (voiced by Chris Pratt) and his brother Luigi (Charlie Day). And if you’re looking to get a hint at what’s to come in the Mushroom Kingdom – and beyond – stick around through the credits. There’s both a mid-credits sequence and a post-credits sequence. And we’re going to break it all down.
Consider this a planetary-sized spoiler warning. If you haven’t seen “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” or care at all about spoilers, it’s probably best if you return to your home world.
Still with us? Good!
Let’s breakdown the two “Super Mario Galaxy Movie” post-credits sequences, in forensic detail. No additional quarters needed.
Bye, Fox! The Mid-Credits Sequence, Explained
The mid-credits sequence, which comes after an elaborate, “Paper Mario”-indebted main-on-end credits sequence, takes place on a snowy world. There’s a giant prison looming in the background. And out walks Fox McCloud of “Star Fox” fame (voiced by a perfectly cast Glen Powell). Fox has been a part of this adventure because, as he says it, he was sucked through a wormhole and landed in the “Super Mario Bros.” universe. Now his engine is properly repaired and he can get back to his world. He tells Toad that he’s headed home and gets into his ship, which seems like either a completely new ship or highly modified version of his iconic Arwing. Bye Fox!
We then head into the prison, a stone-walled dungeon that imprisons Bowser (Jack Black) and Bowser Jr. (Benny Safdie). A shadowy figure approaches their cell, full of menace and importance. When the figure reaches the cell, it’s revealed to be a Luma—one of Rosalina’s star-like children that first debuted in the “Super Mario Galaxy” video game. (Long live the Wii.) If you’ll recall, there was a Luma imprisoned in Bowser’s dungeon in the first “Super Mario Bros. Movie” who spoke very maturely for a cherubic little sprite.
The implication is that it’s the same Luma from the first movie. This Luma says some very intense things that frighten Bowser and Bowser Jr., then lets out a villainous laugh. Cue laughter.
Hello, Princess! The Post-Credits Sequence, Explained
For the post-credits scene, we return to the hub world visited earlier in the movie. It’s there that we see Ukiki, a thieving monkey introduced earlier (a character first introduced in “Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island,” if you didn’t know—long live the Super Nintendo). Ukiki steals a bag from a Whittle, a wood-headed tree spirit from “Super Mario Galaxy 2,” and runs away. He is finally stopped by a princess.
This princess is a brunette in a yellow dress, and as the camera pans up, we get a good look at her—it’s Daisy, a character first introduced in “Super Mario Land.” (Long live the Game Boy.) She is the princess of Sarasaland, whom Mario saves. In the years since her debut, she has appeared in countless Nintendo games—not just mainline Mario titles, but also sports games like “Mario Golf,” party games like “Mario Party” and “Super Smash Bros.,” and, of course, the “Mario Kart” racing series.
What this means for the future of the movies is anybody’s guess. In the run-up to “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie,” there was endless speculation that the sequel would set up a larger, “Super Smash Bros.”-indebted movie. But the new movie seems to be much more interested in populating the Mario Bros. cinematic galaxy with princesses—we have Rosalina (Brie Larson), Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy), and now Daisy. Could this be Universal, Illumination and Nintendo’s version of the Disney Princesses? An endlessly marketable franchise that sells countless pieces of consumer goods and other related merchandise? Or is this another speculative dead end?
We’ll all surely know in a few years when the next “Super Mario Bros. Movie” hits theaters.
