The vast majority of upcoming video game adaptations certainly skew more adult than family-friendly, but Nintendo and Universal are set to once again prove why broader makes for a bigger box office, as The Super Mario Galaxy Movie will be triple-jumping into theaters in April. The sequel’s release date is now April 1 — no foolin’ — as revealed by the gaming giant alongside a new teaser video that included the big fan-pleasing Yoshi reveal.
I obviously understand why he’s getting a lot of love, given how well the first film’s egg tease went over with audiences. Hearing Yoshi talk was a bit jarring, but I still agree with everyone oozing enthusiasm over finally seeing the beloved sidekick in this animated universe. But in the grand scheme of things, we didn’t get that much Yoshi, and I found myself more enthralled by references to various games and other elements also shown for the first time in this footage. So with no ill will towards Yoshi, join me in nerding out over those other callbacks.
The Tostarenans And A Moe-Eye In The Sand Kingdom
One of the first trailer's big reveals was the inverted pyramid from Super Mario Odyssey's Sand Kingdom, and this footage not only shows off the area's population of Tostarenans, but also one of the stone-headed Moe-Eyes that are modeled after the Moai statues on Easter Island. Given this kingdom's historical inspirations from various cultures, it's not the worst place for Yoshi to be discovered, so I love that we get to spend at least a little time in that visually gorgeous area.
Plus, Mario is able to take control of Moe-Eyes' bodies using Cappy, so that's absolutely part of why I'm excited to see that character showing up in this footage. Sadly, none of the Sand Kingdom's buildings appeared to be Crazy Cap shops, and even though Cappy wasn't a Galaxy element, I'm still holding out hope.
Both Mario And Luigi Rocking Fire-Flower Power
As gorgeous as the field of Fire Flowers was in the first movie, its limited use was a huge letdown, so kudos to the creative team for not only righting that wrong in the sequel, but also for giving fans an early look at both Mario and Luigi donning their signature white caps and undershirts, ready to bring respective infernos of pain to any foes brave enough to stand opposed.
Granted, they mainly the fireballs as light sources and not as enemy-singeing weapons, but I did chuckle at a panicked Luigi flinging them at an unseen threat, as well as at the lighter sound effect used to get the fireball going again. Good gags. Plus, I think/hope that the fire power will get showcased in full during a wild action sequence later in the movie. Considering the Jurassic Park reference in this footage, I would not be shocked if we got a visual reference to Ron Howard’s 1991 firefighter drama Backdraft, also distributed by Universal.
Frog Luigi! Also, Frog Luigi Taking Out A Boss Bass!
Blessed be the trailer gods for laying out another excellent power-up costume change right after the Fire Flower sequence. Even more blessings for it being Frog Luigi, arguably the saddest-looking of all the brother's powered-up looks. You've got to own that look, Frog Luigi!
Indeed, he puts the high-leaping suit to good use by saving Blue Toad from becoming lunch for one of the brothers' longtime water-dwelling foes, Boss Bass. This version is even more massive than he is in the games', which makes for quite the fun animation as Frog Luigi makes contact. (Incidentally, the shot above also made me think too seriously about how horrifying it would be if the surface of one's eye always protruded like that.)
Princess Peach Is Facing Off Against Birdo In The Casino
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie's initial trailer showed off Princess Peach in a very vibrant casino fight, and now we know that beyond all the easily conquerable minions targeting her, Peach will be facing off against Birdo and her proj-egg-tiles. It's our first look at Birdo in the sequel, and I can't hate on her using her bird nature to take her assault to the air. Especially since this casino doesn't have the most tradiional roof.
I hope Peach makes some kind of a comment about how gross it is that Birdo's core attack comes out of her mouth and is almost definitely covered in a thin layer of bird-body goo, even if it's too thin to be perceived by human eyes. It's gross. And where are all those eggs coming from? Peach, ask these questions.
More Quick Takes
The entries above were my biggest takeaways that had me even more excited than seeing Yoshi, but those don't even make up the full list of cool reveals and fun moments to be found in the new video (which can be seen below). Considering how many deep-cut references were in the first film, I love knowing this is only skimming the surface, too. Here are a few more quick takes that earned my gleeful smiles as I watched.
- Baby Mario and Luigi from Super Mario World 2: Yoshi Island! If this movie doesn't make multiple jokes about how godawful the sound of Baby Mario's crying is, what was the point of anything?
- Those look like the glowing-eyed bats from Super Mario Galaxy seemingly living in the Sand Kingdom's caves, but I wonder if the pipes in the cave play into their presence and Yoshi's.
- I hope that Toad's initial disinterest and discontent with Yoshi's arrival continues throughout the whole movie, especially if Yoshi's big dumb smile stays on his face the entire time.
- Should we call that T-Rex scene "The Time A Chris Pratt Character Actually Failed To Calm A Dinosaur Down," and was this crossover moment really necessary?
Now for anyone who hasn't yet checked out the new footage, give it a watch below!
Remember, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is now set to hit the 2026 movie schedule on Wednesday, April 1, 2026.
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