Batman: Arkham Star Slams Chris Pratt's Mario
It's the debate that has split the video game industry. Is Chris Pratt the right man to voice Mario in Illumination's The Super Mario Bros. Movie... maybe? Should the role have gone to Charles Martinet... maybe? Either way, legendary voice actor Tara Strong has made her feelings clear.
Shrek, Ice Age, Toy Story - there are just some of the movies that have been perfectly cast without A-listers letting their star power overshadow the movie itself. Chris Pratt has become a household name thanks to roles in the likes of the Jurassic World and Guardians of the Galaxy movies, however, he's also been accused of hogging Hollywood thanks to appearing in animations like The Lego Movie and the upcoming Garfield.
What Has Tara Strong Said About Chris Pratt?
After the first trailer for The Super Mario Movie debuted, most agreed that while Jack black's Bowser and Keegan-Michael Key's Toad were highlights, Pratt's unenthusiastic Mario was less impressive. Given he's the MVP, this could be a major stumbling block.
As well as the French dub of the trailer being beloved by all - leading to calls for that actor to replace Pratt - others question why Charles Martinet didn't land the role. Martinet is known as the voice of Mario from the games and has famously lent his vocals to the part since 1992. It's not just fans championing Martinet, with Batman: Arkham's Strong also raging.
Posting on Twitter, Strong simply said, "It should be Charles." Her follow-up tweets gave context to what she meant, adding, "Voice actors - I’m gonna put my heart & soul in this for at least 20 years, help sell billions in merch, make the studios millions of dollars & make generations around the world happy. Hollywood - We don't care."
Will The Super Mario Movie Recast Chris Pratt?
Pratt has become something of a divisive hate figure due to his religious beliefs, but still, he's top of the box office. More than personal preferences on what you think about Chris Pratt, a lot of the complaints have come from the fact he's not "right" for the job. There were questions about potential cultural appropriation if he did a classic Mario accent of Italian stereotypes, but by not having even a hint of the portly plumber's heritage, it's trapped the movie in a lose-lose situation.
As for Martinet, as much as Strong and a growing fan base would love to see him land the part, it's never going to happen. Thankfully, the man himself has seen the support he's been given, with a later tweet thanking Strong for her kind words. The Harley Quinn voice artist has clarified that she thinks Pratt is a great actor, simply that she's saddened Martinet doesn't get to continue his legacy as the mushroom-munching hero.
