Now that The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is officially out in the world on the 2026 movie schedule, audiences are digging into everything from its stacked voice cast to its surprisingly deep bench of Nintendo characters. But one of the more entertaining behind-the-scenes stories has nothing to do with Easter eggs or hidden references. It’s how Donald Glover and Glen Powell ended up in the movie in the first place. Because neither of them exactly followed the traditional Hollywood playbook.
Speaking with Forbes, producer Chris Meledandri emphasized that Nintendo, led by Shigeru Miyamoto, worked closely with Illumination on every aspect of the film to preserve what makes these characters work in the first place. That collaborative environment seems to have created the perfect opening for actors who already loved the material. Enter Glover and Powell.
Glen Powell Called His Shot With Star Fox
After the success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Meledandri said actors started reaching out directly, hoping to get involved in whatever came next. One of those actors was the Top Gun: Maverick breakout who wasn’t too subtle about what role he wanted in particular: Fox McCloud.
Article continues belowGlenn Powell became a real possibility during the first movie, when the Twisters star expressed his love for Fox McCloud. The Mario Galaxy producers explained:
When we were working on the first movie, we began to get phone calls from actors. They started communicating their enthusiasm. After the first movie was done, there were two phone calls that came from actors expressing incredible conviction and passion about being involved with Nintendo, and one of them was from Glen Powell. He explained that we had to understand how deeply he loved the character of Fox McCloud. His dream was one day to be part of a Star Fox movie. I'm listening to this going, 'He has no idea that Miyamoto-san and I are talking about Star Fox being in this new movie,' and Glen is expressing this passion for this.
When Meledandri followed up with the actor, he made it clear the project had to remain secret, especially given how closely guarded the Star Fox reveal was. He continued:
What happened was that after we spoke about it, we had decided we wanted Star Fox to appear in this new movie as a surprise. When I called Glen back, I said, 'Look, I want you to have a conversation, but it has to be completely secret, you cannot talk it to anyone' as no one knew this character would be so close to this movie. On top of that, we felt that there was a Glen Powell kind of attitude to the character, and he feels perfectly suited to that role. It was one of those gifts.
And that meeting paid off as Star Fox made his big screen debut in Super Mario Galaxy, with the Powell attitude intact. But what about Donald Glover? How did he make it in the film?
Donald Glover Asked For The Role
If Powell’s path into the film feels like a strange bit of timing, Glover’s approach was much more direct. Speaking with ScreenRant, the Atlanta star openly admitted that he went out and got the role of everyone's favorite little dinosaur himself. The rapper and performer explained:
Although, that's exactly what I did. To be fair. I literally hit up Chris, and I was like, 'I know y'all got to use Yoshi.' But they told me, 'He's just going to say, probably, "Yoshi". We're going to keep it very traditional.' I was like, 'I can be traditional.'
There’s something refreshingly simple about that. No elaborate pitch, no long campaign. Just a clear ask and a willingness to meet the character where it already exists. Glover essentially nominated himself for the role and spoke it into becoming reality.
Why This Approach Actually Fits The Movie
What makes both of these casting stories work is how closely they align with how the movie itself was made. As Meledandri explained, this wasn’t a typical licensing situation in which a studio adapts a property from a distance. Nintendo was involved at every level, working directly with Illumination to ensure the film reflected the “core DNA” of the games.
That same mindset seems to carry over into casting. Powell and Glover weren’t just recognizable names being slotted into a franchise; they were true Nintendo fans who understood the characters and actively wanted to be part of that world.
Now that the new video game adaptation is out and is a massive success, having the biggest box office weekend of the year thus far, those choices are easier to appreciate in hindsight. What could have sounded like shameless self-promotion at the time ended up fitting the project's tone almost perfectly.
And if nothing else, it’s a reminder that sometimes the best way into a billion-dollar franchise is to just ask. Well, at least if you're Donald Glover and Glen Powell.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is playing in theaters now, so be sure to check your local listings for showtimes. Fans can also catch up with the first movie as it's streaming with a Peacock Subscription.
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