A wave of sadness washes over Super Mario fans as the iconic voice actor Charles Martinet, who lent his voice to the character of Mario for an impressive 27-year tenure, has made the bittersweet decision to step away from this cherished role.
In a heartfelt Twitter post shared on Monday, Charles Martinet announced his departure from the longstanding career of voicing Mario, a character he had lovingly portrayed for nearly three decades. His debut as the official voice of Mario, the intrepid Italian plumber, marked the beginning of a remarkable journey.
“My new Adventure begins! You are all Numba One in my heart! #woohoo!!!!!” Martinet’s tweet exclaimed.
Charles Martinet originally embarked on his role as the spirited Italian plumber in games like Mario’s Game Gallery and Super Mario 64, and his vocal talents also extended to characters like Luigi, Wario, and Waluigi.
Nintendo, acknowledging this significant transition, released a statement indicating that Martinet will now be assuming the mantle of “Mario Ambassador.” While he steps back from voicing characters in the games, his new role will involve global travel to share the joy of Mario with fans and enthusiasts.
Nintendo’s statement conveyed, “It has been an honor working with Charles to help bring Mario to life for so many years and we want to thank and celebrate him. Please keep an eye out for a special video message from Shigeru Miyamoto and Charles himself, which we will post at a future date.”
Amidst Charles Martinet’s enthusiastic announcement of his new venture, fans can’t help but experience a sense of nostalgia and emotional attachment as they bid farewell to an era.
In a recent turn of events, Charles Martinet made a cameo appearance in the highly successful box office hit “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” wherein Chris Pratt took on the role of voicing Mario.
The departure of Charles Martinet from his iconic role as the voice of Mario marks the end of an era that has brought joy and entertainment to countless gamers around the world.
